The Design and Implementation of Kerberos-Blockchain Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks Authentication Across Diverse Network...

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Cybersecurity
• Intelligent Transportation Systems

Background:

• Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks (VANETs) are vital for intelligent transportation, providing data for navigation and accident prevention.
• VANETs face significant cybersecurity risks due to network exposure, necessitating robust authentication mechanisms.
• Current authentication methods in VANETs often struggle with minimizing authentication time for fast and secure procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate a novel authentication system for VANETs.
• To enhance the security and integrity of communication in VANETs through efficient entity verification.
• To minimize authentication time while ensuring secure data exchange in intelligent transportation environments.

Main Methods:

• A hybrid authentication system integrating blockchain technology and Kerberos.
• Storing authentication messages on a blockchain ledger accessible by Trusted Authentication Servers (TASs) and Roadside Units (RSUs).
• Evaluating the system's performance across suburban and urban network scenarios with varying numbers of TASs.

Main Results:

• The proposed system demonstrates applicability in diverse network settings, meeting requirements for authentication, handover, and end-to-end delay.
• Performance is maintained with an increased number of vehicles, especially when an additional TAS is incorporated.
• Storing authentication messages on the blockchain is feasible, considering gas values and memory constraints across all tested scenarios.

Conclusions:

• The blockchain and Kerberos-based authentication system is a practical solution for securing VANETs.
• The system effectively balances security, speed, and scalability for intelligent transportation systems.
• The findings support the integration of blockchain for secure and efficient authentication in future VANET deployments.