Packet Key-Based End-to-End Security Management on a Blockchain Control Plane.

Area of Science:

• Mobile Network Security
• Blockchain Technology
• Cybersecurity

Background:

• Current LTE systems rely on session-based security, facing limitations in end-to-end management.
• Both vertical and Software-Defined Networking (SDN) horizontal models struggle with comprehensive end-to-end security.
• Existing security models are vulnerable to active attacks and lack efficient parameter management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel blockchain-based security management (BSM) scheme.
• To enhance existing session key-based security with packet key management.
• To address the end-to-end security limitations of current mobile network models.

Main Methods:

• Development of a blockchain control plane for security management.
• Implementation of a packet key-based security system.
• Introduction of a renewal process for dynamic security parameters.
• Secure handling of blind values to prevent exposure to attackers.

Main Results:

• The BSM scheme facilitates easy parameter acquisition for peers.
• Enables distinct security parameters for different packet data streams via a renewal process.
• Guarantees secure end-to-end data transfer against active attacks like data falsification.
• Demonstrates advantageous effects on latency compared to the existing vertical model.

Conclusions:

• The proposed BSM scheme offers a significant improvement in end-to-end security management for mobile networks.
• Blockchain integration provides a robust and secure platform for managing packet keys.
• The BSM scheme effectively mitigates active attacks and enhances data integrity and confidentiality.