First Time Authentication for Airborne Networks (FAAN)

Abstract

Abstract : Mobile airborne networks deployed and used by the armed forces face significant challenges in balancing security concerns with reliably servicing the needs of the forces dependent on it. These issues are complicated by the ever-changing collaborative environments that these networks are tasked to support. The Zero Knowledge Protocol (ZKP) is a powerful technique that replaces the portion of a traditional credential-based key management system where credentials are exchanged. Instead, in ZKPs a proof of the existence of the credential is sent, allowing the receiver to develop absolute confidence that the user has a valid credential, without exposing the credential to risk of compromise. Based on the results of this research, we assert that it may be possible to construct a ZKP scheme with strong anonymity given any identification protocol and a shared-key update scheme.