Robust and low latency security framework for IEEE 802.11 wireless networks

Abstract

Wireless Networks call for enhanced confidentiality, integrity and authentication services because of their inhernet weakness. ' Counter Mode Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Code Protocol' (CCMP) has recently been employed to replace flawed ' Wired Equivalent Privacy ' area networks (WLAN). Meanwhile, IEEE 802.11s - Draft standard for wireless mesh networks (WMN) - has also propsed to use CCMP. CCMP, a two pass process, introduces considerable latency in multi-hop wireless networks susch as WMN. This research exposes the vulnerability of CCMP against precomputation time memory trade-off (TMTO) attack and proposes a framework to strengthen the security of WLAN packets using Per packet security mechanism. Furthermore, a novel robust and low latency framework for WMN is also proposed. The architecture of security framework involes introduction of piggyback challenge response protocol for provideing data confidentiality and data integrity. Piggyback challenge response protocol offers fresh encryption key for every packet, per-packet authentication and use of secreat nonce.