Title
Least privilege and privilege deprivation: Toward tolerating mobile sink compromises in wireless sensor networks
Abstract
Mobile sinks are needed in many sensor network applications for efficient data collection, data querying, localized sensor reprogramming, identifying, and revoking compromised sensors, and other network maintenance. Employing mobile sinks however raises a new security challenge: if a mobile sink is given too many privileges, it will become very attractive for attack and compromise. Using a compromised mobile sink, an adversary may easily bring down or even take over the sensor network. Thus, security mechanisms that can tolerate mobile sink compromises are essential. In this article, based on the principle of least privilege, we first propose an efficient scheme to restrict the privilege of a mobile sink without impeding its ability to carry out any authorized operations for an assigned task. In addition, we present an extension to allow conditional trajectory change due to unexpected events. To further reduce the possible damage caused by a compromised mobile sink, we propose efficient message forwarding schemes for deleting the privilege assigned to a compromised mobile sink immediately after its compromise has been detected. Through detailed analysis, simulation, and real implementation, we show that our schemes are secure and efficient, and are highly practical for sensor networks consisting of the current generation of sensors.
Year
DOI
Venue
2008
10.1145/1387663.1387669
TOSN
Keywords
Field
DocType
least privilege,mobile sink compromise,assigned task,wireless sensor network,efficient message forwarding scheme,efficient scheme,localized sensor reprogramming,sensor network,mobile sink,efficient data collection,network maintenance,key revocation,sensor network application,pairwise key,key management,sensor networks,privilege deprivation,data collection
Key management,Key distribution in wireless sensor networks,Principle of least privilege,Computer science,Computer security,Computer network,Unexpected events,Adversary,Mobile wireless sensor network,Wireless sensor network,restrict
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
4
4
1550-4859
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
8
0.65
46
Authors
4
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Hui Song11225.92
Sencun Zhu22581135.53
Wensheng Zhang3141580.30
Guohong Cao46690326.81