Access authentication via blockchain in space information network.

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Network Security
• Blockchain Technology

Background:

• Space Information Networks (SIN) offer ubiquitous communication but face challenges with security and authentication due to naked links and signal latency.
• Existing SIN authentication methods struggle with privacy leaks and high latency, failing to meet secure communication requirements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel blockchain-based access authentication mechanism for Space Information Networks (SIN).
• To enhance security, user anonymity, and reduce authentication latency within SIN environments.

Main Methods:

• A blockchain application is proposed to provide anonymity for mobile users while accommodating satellite processing limitations.
• The authentication mechanism involves three entities: low Earth orbit satellites, mobile users, and a network control center.
• The proposed mutual authentication avoids ground station reliance, minimizing latency and overhead.

Main Results:

• The blockchain-based scheme offers user anonymity and considers satellite processing constraints.
• The mutual authentication mechanism successfully reduces latency and overhead by eliminating the need for a ground station.
• Formal security evaluation using AVISPA and performance studies confirm low authentication latency, minimal signal overhead, and reduced computational cost.

Conclusions:

• The novel blockchain-based authentication mechanism provides efficient security for Space Information Networks.
• The proposed approach enhances user privacy and reduces communication latency, making it suitable for SIN environments.
• This method offers a promising solution for secure and efficient authentication in the evolving landscape of space-based communication networks.