Lightweight mutual authentication scheme based on elliptic curve deffie-hellman key exchange in machine-to-machine communication network

Abstract

Machine-to-Machine communication today is increasing with the help of powerful computing capabilities remotely operated through the advancement in automation devices and the Internet of Things (IoT), known as machine-type communication (MTC) devices. MTC devices consist of small and cheap onboard computers that can execute few tasks due to limited computational, memory and energy capabilities. These devices are used for autonomous monitoring, storing sensory data, and controlling actuators based on shared data. Moreover, these resource-constrained MTC devices are utilized in remote environments and places where human intervention is either unfeasible or immensely complicated. Due to the sensitivity of the data and dynamic topology of MTC devices, it is challenging to trust and rely on autonomous and remote devices in a shared network. Additionally, the data sharing procedures must endure several basic and modern security features such as securing mutual authentication, confidentiality, computationally affordable encryption, key agreeing techniques and effective handling strategies during communication failures. The schemes developed to provide robust security lack performance efficiencies to overcome modern security attacks due to operational costs and computational unaffordability. With inefficient performance and inadequate security, resource-constrained MTC devices face various types of modern Man-in-the-Middle (MiTM), data spoofing, and enforced data leakage-related security attacks. Moreover, most schemes ignore enforced data leakage and communication failure scenarios. Therefore, this research was designed to develop a machine-to-machine physical layer lightweight mutual authentication scheme for 8- bit MTC devices that could withstand modern security attacks and achieve all basic security features, including an anti-communication failure strategy. The scheme consists of three major sections. First, a curve25519 driven lightweight end-to-end encryption which efficiently provided data transmission security to resource- constrained MTC devices. Second, an elliptic-curve Diffie-hellman-based effective mutual authentication with lightweight, encrypted keys enabled the 8-bit devices to achieve authentication, anonymity, and confidentiality. Third, the inclusion of data availability where anti communication failure strategy enabled MTC devices to execute their basic functionality during communication disruption. With offloaded computation, curve25519 driven end-to-end encryption technique produced heavy keys at low cost. Moreover, the lightweight mutual authentication produced comparatively lower network and computational overheads. Additionally, the anti communication failure strategy completely prevented circumstantial and enforced data losses. The results showed that the scheme lost no data during communication failures. Furthermore, the end-to-end encryption achieved 192-bit security with minimum resources, and the mutual authentication in machine-to-machine communication networks produced comparatively lesser network and computation overheads.