A Simple Encryption Keys Creation Scheme in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks

A mobile ad hoc network (MANET) is a collection of mobile nodes that temporarily integrate with each other to form a network. Such a network does not require the existence of a typical network infrastructure. There is no central entity with the authority to administer the services and configurations of the network. How to secure a MANET is an active field of study for researchers. However, most of the research on the topic of securing the MANETs has focused on adapting security mechanisms that were meant for traditional wired networks. This adaptation has resulted in security solutions that do not work efficiently or that make assumptions that are not in line with the properties and characterizations of MANETs. In this paper, we propose the use of security mechanisms for MANETs that are designed based on the characteristics, functionalities, and goals of such networks. We aim to initiate a paradigm shift in securing MANETs, in which the focus should be on building security solutions specifically developed for MANETs, and not on adapting solutions that were meant for conventional wired networks. We revisit the basics and propose a simple encryption keys creation scheme that is based on the Diffie-Hellman key agreement protocol. The work presented in this paper should mark the initiation of a research agenda designed to build security primitives that are specifically for MANETs, along the lines of the new paradigm.