9th International Conference on Body Area Networks

Research Article

Public-Key Authentication for Cloud-based WBANs

  • @INPROCEEDINGS{10.4108/icst.bodynets.2014.257172,
        author={Thaier Hayajneh and Athanasios V. Vasilakos and Ghada Almashaqbeh and Bassam J. Mohd and Muhammad A. Imran and Muhammad Z Shakir and Khalid A. Qaraqe},
        title={Public-Key Authentication for Cloud-based WBANs},
        proceedings={9th International Conference on Body Area Networks},
        publisher={ICST},
        proceedings_a={BODYNETS},
        year={2014},
        month={11},
        keywords={cloud-based wban public key authentication rabin securiy and provacy},
        doi={10.4108/icst.bodynets.2014.257172}
    }
    
  • Thaier Hayajneh
    Athanasios V. Vasilakos
    Ghada Almashaqbeh
    Bassam J. Mohd
    Muhammad A. Imran
    Muhammad Z Shakir
    Khalid A. Qaraqe
    Year: 2014
    Public-Key Authentication for Cloud-based WBANs
    BODYNETS
    ACM
    DOI: 10.4108/icst.bodynets.2014.257172
Thaier Hayajneh1,*, Athanasios V. Vasilakos2, Ghada Almashaqbeh3, Bassam J. Mohd4, Muhammad A. Imran5, Muhammad Z Shakir6, Khalid A. Qaraqe6
  • 1: New York Institute of Technology
  • 2: Kuwait University
  • 3: University of Notre Dame
  • 4: The Hashemite University
  • 5: University of Surrey
  • 6: Texas A&M University at Qatar
*Contact email: dr.thaier@gmail.com

Abstract

Merging WBAN systems with cloud computing is an efficient solution to overcome limitations inherent in WBAN, especially in critical human-related applications. In cloud-based WBAN, the nodes are classified into WBAN sensors that report measurements about the human body and WBAN actuators that receive commands from the medical staff and perform actions. Authenticating these commands is a critical security issue as any alteration may lead to serious consequences. This paper presents a light-weight public-key authentication protocol for cloud-based WBAN systems. The proposed protocol is based on the modified Rabin authentication algorithm which is customized in this paper by making some of its components run in parallel. To prove the efficiency of the modified Rabin we implemented the algorithm with different hardware settings using Tmote Sky motes. The Rabin algorithm with and without the parallel settings is also programmed on FPGA to evaluate its design and performance. The results show that secure, direct, instant, and authenticated commands can be delivered from the medical staff located at the cloud side to the WBAN nodes located in/on the human body. Compared to other public-key protocols implemented on the motes, Rabin algorithm achieved extremely faster verification and reasonable signature generation speed. Moreover, the suggested parallel settings of the Rabin signature generation significantly reduced the delays which is a critical issue in WBAN applications.