Multi-factor authentication and key agreement scheme based on PUF and Chebyshev chaotic map for wireless sensor...

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Cybersecurity
• Network Engineering

Background:

• Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are vulnerable to security threats due to their open communication nature.
• Existing WSN security mechanisms often lack fundamental protections against interception and manipulation.
• The need for robust authentication and privacy preservation in WSNs is critical.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel three-party authentication and key agreement scheme for WSNs.
• To enhance WSN security against sophisticated attacks, including machine learning-based modeling.
• To ensure user privacy and dynamic, one-time identity authentication.

Main Methods:

• The proposed scheme integrates physical unclonable functions (PUFs) with the Chebyshev chaotic map for cryptography.
• Hash functions and XOR operations are employed for dynamic pseudonym generation and parameter updates.
• Formal and informal security analyses, alongside practical simulations, were used for validation.

Main Results:

• The scheme provides strong resilience against various security risks, including machine learning attacks.
• Dynamic generation and updating of user pseudonyms and authentication parameters ensure one-time usage.
• Simulations confirm the scheme's efficiency in terms of computational and communication overhead.

Conclusions:

• The proposed authentication and key agreement scheme offers superior security and efficiency for WSNs.
• It effectively addresses privacy concerns and enhances resilience against evolving cyber threats.
• The integration of PUFs and chaotic maps presents a promising direction for WSN security.