Privacy and security are often intertwined. For example, identity theft is rampant because we have become accustomed to authentication by identification. To obtain some service, we provide enough information about our identity for an unscrupulous person to steal it (for example, we give our credit card number to Amazon.com). One of the consequences is that many people avoid e-commerce entirely due to privacy and security concerns. The solution is to perform authentication without identification. In fact, all on-line actions should be as anonymous as possible, for this is the only way to guarantee security for the overall system. A credential system is a system in which users can obtain credentials from organizations and demonstrate possession of these credentials. Such a system is anonymous when transactions carried out by the same user cannot be linked. An anonymous credential system is of significant practical relevance because it is the best means of providing privacy for users.
In this note, we remark that the aggregation property of the BLS signature scheme yields an efficient Content Extraction Signature (CES). This construction can be used to build digital credentials that support selective disclosure in various settings. Interestingly, this construction is efficient and well suited to build credential issuance schemes with various applications in the client-server or in the distributed ledger models. Finally, we sketch a protocol that combines the CES with the use of a NIZK which allows to prove predicate satisfaction on claims extracted from a credential, while …
With the rapid advancement of wireless network technology, usage of WSN in real time applications like military, forest monitoring etc. found increasing. Generally WSN operate in an unattended environment and handles critical data. Authenticating the user trying to access the sensor memory is one of the critical requirements. Many researchers have proposed remote user authentication schemes focusing on various parameters. In 2013, Li et al. proposed a temporal-credential-based mutual authentication and key agreement scheme for WSNs. Li et al. claimed that their scheme is secure against all maj…
This work focuses on the problem of detection and prevention of stolen and misused secrets (such as private keys) for authentication toward centralized services. We propose a solution for such a problem based on the blockchain-based two-factor authentication scheme SmartOTPs, which we modify for our purposes and utilize in the setting of two and half-factor authentication against a centralized service provider. Our proposed solution consists of four entities that interact together to ensure authentication: (1) the user, (2) the authenticator, (3) the service provider, and (4) the smart contrac…
Authentication proxies, which store users' secret credentials and submit them to servers on their behalf, offer benefits with respect to security of the authentication and usability of credential management. However, as being a service that is not in control of users, one important problem they suffer is the trust problem; how users trust that their secrets are handled securely in the proxy and not revealed to third parties. In this paper, we present a solution called Trust-in-the-Middle, a TPM based proxy system which ensures that user credentials are securely stored and submitted without dis…
Recently, Mun et al. analyzed Wu et al.'s authentication scheme and proposed a enhanced anonymous authentication scheme for roaming service in global mobility networks. However, through careful analysis, we find that Mun et al.'s scheme is vulnerable to impersonation attacks, off-line password guessing attacks and insider attacks, and cannot provide user friendliness, user's anonymity, proper mutual authentication and local verification. To remedy these weaknesses, in this paper we propose a novel anonymous authentication scheme for roaming service in global mobility networks. Security and per…
This paper analyses the various authentication systems implemented for enhanced security and private re-position of an individual's log-in credentials. The first part of the paper describes the multi-factor authentication (MFA) systems, which, though not applicable to the field of Internet of Things, provides great security to a user's credentials. MFA is followed by a brief description of the working mechanism of interaction of third party clients with private resources over the OAuth protocol framework and a study of the delegation based authentication system in IP-based IoT.
Application authentication is typically performed using some form of secret credentials such as cryptographic keys, passwords, or API keys. Since clients are responsible for securely storing and managing the keys, this approach is vulnerable to attacks on clients. Similarly a centrally managed key store is also susceptible to various attacks and if compromised, can leak credentials. To resolve such issues, we propose an application authentication, where we rely on unique and distinguishable application's behavior to lock the key during a setup phase and unlock it for authentication. Our system…
Authentication with username and password is becoming an inconvenient process for the user. End users typically have little control over their personal privacy, and data breaches effecting millions of users have already happened several times. We have implemented a proof of concept decentralized OpenID Connect Provider by marrying it with Self-Sovereign Identity, which gives users the freedom to choose from a very large pool of identity providers instead of just a select few corporations, thus enabling the democratization of the highly centralized digital identity landscape. Furthermore, we pr…
An anonymous Single Sign-On (ASSO) scheme allows users to access multiple services anonymously using one credential. We propose a new ASSO scheme, where users can access services anonymously through the use of anonymous credentials and unlinkably through the provision of designated verifiers. Notably, verifiers cannot link service requests of a user even if they collude. The novelty is that when a designated verifier is unavailable, a central authority can authorise new verifiers to authenticate the user on behalf of the original verifier. Furthermore, if required, a central verifier is author…
Anonymous access authentication schemes provide users with massive application services while protecting the privacy of users' identities. The identity protection schemes in 3G and 4G are not suitable for 5G anonymous access authentication due to complex computation and pseudonym asynchrony. In this paper, we consider mobile devices with limited resources in the 5G network and propose an anonymous access authentication scheme without the Public Key Infrastructure. The anonymous access authentication scheme provides users with variable shard pseudonyms to protect users' identities asynchronousl…
Internet of Vehicles (IoV) is an intelligent application of IoT in smart transportation, which can make intelligent decisions for passengers. It has drawn extensive attention to improve traffic safety and efficiency and create a more comfortable driving and riding environment. Vehicular cloud computing is a variant of mobile cloud computing, which can process local information quickly. The cooperation of the Internet and vehicular cloud can make the communication more efficient in IoV. In this paper, we mainly focus on the secure communication between vehicles and roadside units. We first prop…
Reflow is a novel signature scheme supporting unlinkable signatures by multiple parties authenticated by means of zero-knowledge credentials. Reflow integrates with blockchains and graph databases to ensure confidentiality and authenticity of signatures made by disposable identities that can be verified even when credential issuing authorities are offline. We implement and evaluate Reflow smart contracts for Zenroom and present an application to produce authenticated material passports for resource-event-agent accounting systems based on graph data structures. Reflow uses short and computation…
For many years, the pay-TV system has attracted a lot of users. Users have recently expressed the desire to use mobile TV or mobile payment via anonymous protocols. The mobile users have also received their services over cellular communications networks. Each mobile device receives services from each head end systems. With increasing numbers of users and the expansion of Internet, user's privacy has become crucial important. When a device leaves the head end system's range, it must receive services from another head end system. In this paper, we review Chen et al's scheme and we highlight some…
As IoT becomes omnipresent vast amounts of data are generated, which can be used for building innovative applications. However,interoperability issues and security concerns, prevent harvesting the full potentials of these data. In this paper we consider the use case of data generated by smart buildings. Buildings are becoming ever "smarter" by integrating IoT devices that improve comfort through sensing and automation. However, these devices and their data are usually siloed in specific applications or manufacturers, even though they can be valuable for various interested stakeholders who prov…
Federated identity management enables users to access multiple systems using a single login credential. However, to achieve this a complex privacy compromising authentication has to occur between the user, relying party (RP) (e.g., a business), and a credential service provider (CSP) that performs the authentication. In this work, we use a smart contract on a blockchain to enable an architecture where authentication no longer involves the CSP. Authentication is performed solely through user to RP communications (eliminating fees and enhancing privacy). No third party needs to be contacted, not…
The amount of information generated grows as more and more sensor and IoT devices are deployed in smart cities. It is of utmost importance for us to consider the privacy data leakage and compromised identity from both outside adversaries and inside abuse of data access privilege. The security assumption of the system should not solely rely on the fact that permission and access control were being implemented correctly. Quite the contrary, a system can be designed in a way that user's identity data and usage traces are not leaked even if the system had been compromised. Based upon our previous …
This document presents brief software specification of a secure file exchange system prototype involving mutual authentication of the users via their browser and the application server with PKI-based certificates as credentials, the use of LDAP for credential management, and authentication between the application and database servers to maintain a high level of trust between all parties.
Anonymous Single-Sign-On authentication schemes have been proposed to allow users to access a service protected by a verifier without revealing their identity which has become more important due to the introduction of strong privacy regulations. In this paper we describe a new approach whereby anonymous authentication to different verifiers is achieved via authorisation tags and pseudonyms. The particular innovation of our scheme is authentication can only occur between a user and its designated verifier for a service, and the verification cannot be performed by any other verifier. The benefit…
Nowadays, Vehicular Ad hoc Networks (VANETs) are popularly known as they can reduce traffic and road accidents. These networks need several security requirements, such as anonymity, data authentication, confidentiality, traceability and cancellation of offending users, unlinkability, integrity, undeniability and access control. Authentication is one of the most important security requirements in these networks. So many authentication schemes have been proposed up to now. One of the well-known techniques to provide users authentication in these networks is the authentication based on the smartc…
A smart-card-based user authentication scheme for wireless sensor networks (hereafter referred to as a SCA-WSN scheme) is designed to ensure that only users who possess both a smart card and the corresponding password are allowed to gain access to sensor data and their transmissions. Despite many research efforts in recent years, it remains a challenging task to design an efficient SCA-WSN scheme that achieves user anonymity. The majority of published SCA-WSN schemes use only lightweight cryptographic techniques (rather than public-key cryptographic techniques) for the sake of efficiency, and …
Biometrics are widely used for authentication in consumer devices and business settings as they provide sufficiently strong security, instant verification and convenience for users. However, biometrics are hard to keep secret, stolen biometrics pose lifelong security risks to users as they cannot be reset and re-issued, and transactions authenticated by biometrics across different systems are linkable and traceable back to the individual identity. In addition, their cost-benefit analysis does not include personal implications to users, who are least prepared for the imminent negative outcomes,…
A Comparative Analysis Between SciTokens, Verifiable Credentials, and Smart Contracts: Novel Approaches for Authentication and Secure Access to Scientific Data
The pervasiveness of wireless communication recently gave mobile ad hoc networks (MANET) a significant researchers' attention, due to its innate capabilities of instant communication in many time and mission critical applications. However, its natural advantages of networking in civilian and military environments make them vulnerable to security threats. Support for an anonymity in MANET is an orthogonal to security critical challenge we faced in this paper. We propose a new anonymous authentication protocol for mobile ad hoc networks enhanced with a distributed reputation system. The main its…
Vehicular Communication (VC) systems will greatly enhance intelligent transportation systems. But their security and the protection of their users' privacy are a prerequisite for deployment. Efforts in industry and academia brought forth a multitude of diverse proposals. These have now converged to a common view, notably on the design of a security infrastructure, a Vehicular Public Key Infrastructure (VPKI) that shall enable secure conditionally anonymous VC. Standardization efforts and industry readiness to adopt this approach hint to its maturity. However, there are several open questions r…
This paper investigates how to effectively stop an attacker from using compromised user credentials to gain authorized entry to systems that they are otherwise not authorised to access. The proposed solution extends previous work to move beyond a risk-based multi-factor authentication system. It adds a behavioural analytics component that uses keystroke dynamics to grant or deny users access. Given the increasing number of compromised user credential stores, we make the assumption that criminals already know the user credentials. Hence, to test our solution, users were given authentic user cre…
The central building block of secure and privacy-preserving Vehicular Communication (VC) systems is a Vehicular Public-Key Infrastructure (VPKI), which provides vehicles with multiple anonymized credentials, termed pseudonyms. These pseudonyms are used to ensure message authenticity and integrity while preserving vehicle (thus passenger) privacy. In the light of emerging large-scale multi-domain VC environments, the efficiency of the VPKI and, more broadly, its scalability are paramount. By the same token, preventing misuse of the credentials, in particular, Sybil-based misbehavior, and managi…
