CIF: Small: Collaborative Research: Security in Dynamic Environments: Harvesting Network Randomness and Diversity

该项目旨在量化一般网络的内在潜力，通过实现节点对或节点组之间的秘密共同随机性来支持各种形式的安全性。 统计和计算保密措施正在考虑对一般被动的对手。共同的随机性实现协议分为两组：文化建设和人群屏蔽。前者从特定（自然的或诱导的）网络现象的相关观察中，揭示了彼此紧邻的节点之间的共同随机性。后者将多个通信链路的安全性联系在一起，以至于对手无法在不攻击整个组的情况下隔离和攻击单个链路。广泛的研究协议涵盖了多个主题，从多路径多样性到网络断层扫描，从安全网络编码到协议编码，从匿名路由到流行病的传播。 该协议具有来自不同来源的网络随机性，如来自不同终端的密文块，竞争协议（延迟随机性）或网络拓扑结构（在高度动态或ad-hoc网络中）。虽然前两个特征长期以来被认为是完整性，效率和机密性的宝贵资源，但网络的不可预测性通常被认为是一种商品。该项目展示了如何收获网络随机性，并与多样性一起利用，以提高通信安全性。在这样做的过程中，它发展了一个更深刻的理解，对网络的统计性质，这可以应用到一个广泛的信息保障目标。 在这个项目中开发的技术方法和一般原理，并通过会议和研讨会传播，有可能激发丰富的相关研究。该项目将通过高级设计项目、课程开发的研究和开放项目方法以及包含相关主题的三门新研究生课程直接影响数十名学生。PI积极参与旨在增加妇女、代表性不足的少数民族和残疾人参与工程和计算科学的计划。

The project aims at quantifying a general network's inner potentialfor supporting various forms of security by achieving secret commonrandomness between pairs or groups of its nodes. Statistical andcomputational secrecy measures are being considered against a generalpassive adversary. Common-randomness-achieving protocols are classifiedinto two groups: culture-building and crowd-shielding. The former achievescommon randomness between nodes situated in close proximity of each other,from correlated observations of specific (natural or induced) networkphenomena. The latter ties together the security of multiple communicationlinks, to the point where an adversary can no longer isolate and attacka single link without attacking the group as a whole. The broad range ofinvestigated protocols cover multiple topics, from multipath diversityto network tomography, from secure network coding to protocol coding,and from anonymous routing to the spread of epidemics. The protocolsharvest network randomness from diverse sources like ciphertext blocksoriginating at various terminals, contention protocols (delay randomness)or network topology (in highly-dynamic, or ad-hoc networks).Communication networks are naturally dynamic, inherently redundant,and largely unpredictable. While the former two features have longbeen recognized as a valuable resource for integrity, efficiencyand confidentiality, network unpredictability is often regarded as anincommodity. This project shows how network randomness can be harvested,and, together with diversity, exploited to enhance communicationsecurity. In doing so, it develops a more profound understanding aboutthe statistical nature of networks, which can be applied to a broad rangeof information-assurance objectives. The technical approaches and thegeneral philosophy developed in this project, and disseminated throughconferences and seminars, have the potential to inspire an abundance ofrelated research. The project will directly impact dozens of studentsthrough Senior Design projects, a research-and-open-project approach tocurriculum development, and three new graduate courses containing relatedtopics. The PIs are actively involved in programs aimed at increasingthe involvement of women, underrepresented minorities, and persons withdisabilities in engineering and computing sciences.