A Blockchain-Assisted Security Protocol for Group Handover of MTC Devices in 5G Wireless Networks
In the realm of the fifth-generation (5G) wireless cellular networks, renowned for their dense connectivity, there lies a substantial facilitation of a myriad of Internet of Things (IoT) applications, which can be supported by the massive machine-type communication (MTC) technique, a fundamental com...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-04-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/24/7/2331 |
| _version_ | 1827286538924326912 |
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| author | Ronghao Ma Jianhong Zhou Maode Ma |
| author_facet | Ronghao Ma Jianhong Zhou Maode Ma |
| author_sort | Ronghao Ma |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the realm of the fifth-generation (5G) wireless cellular networks, renowned for their dense connectivity, there lies a substantial facilitation of a myriad of Internet of Things (IoT) applications, which can be supported by the massive machine-type communication (MTC) technique, a fundamental communication framework. In some scenarios, a large number of machine-type communication devices (MTCD) may simultaneously enter the communication coverage of a target base station. However, the current handover mechanism specified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release 16 incurs high signaling overhead within the access and core networks, which may have negative impacts on network efficiency. Additionally, other existing solutions are vulnerable to malicious attacks such as Denial of Service (DoS), Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, and the failure of Key Forward Secrecy (KFS). To address this challenge, this paper proposes an efficient and secure handover authentication protocol for a group of MTCDs supported by blockchain technology. This protocol leverages the decentralized nature of blockchain technology and combines it with certificateless aggregate signatures to mutually authenticate the identity of a base station and a group of MTCDs. This approach can reduce signaling overhead and avoid key escrow while significantly lowering the risk associated with single points of failure. Additionally, the protocol protects device anonymity by encrypting device identities with temporary anonymous identity markers with the Elliptic Curve Diffie–Hellman (ECDH) to abandon serial numbers to prevent linkage attacks. The resilience of the proposed protocol against predominant malicious attacks has been rigorously validated through the application of the BAN logic and Scyther tool, underscoring its robust security attributes. Furthermore, compared to the existing solutions, the proposed protocol significantly reduces the authentication cost for a group of MTCDs during handover, while ensuring security, demonstrating commendable efficiency. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:35:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f6f45dd27cb44ea88e2f0a1c7aba97bd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:35:09Z |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-f6f45dd27cb44ea88e2f0a1c7aba97bd2024-04-12T13:26:47ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202024-04-01247233110.3390/s24072331A Blockchain-Assisted Security Protocol for Group Handover of MTC Devices in 5G Wireless NetworksRonghao Ma0Jianhong Zhou1Maode Ma2School of Computer and Software Engineering, Xihua University, Chengdu 610039, ChinaSchool of Computer and Software Engineering, Xihua University, Chengdu 610039, ChinaKINDI Center for Computing Research, College of Engineering, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, QatarIn the realm of the fifth-generation (5G) wireless cellular networks, renowned for their dense connectivity, there lies a substantial facilitation of a myriad of Internet of Things (IoT) applications, which can be supported by the massive machine-type communication (MTC) technique, a fundamental communication framework. In some scenarios, a large number of machine-type communication devices (MTCD) may simultaneously enter the communication coverage of a target base station. However, the current handover mechanism specified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release 16 incurs high signaling overhead within the access and core networks, which may have negative impacts on network efficiency. Additionally, other existing solutions are vulnerable to malicious attacks such as Denial of Service (DoS), Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, and the failure of Key Forward Secrecy (KFS). To address this challenge, this paper proposes an efficient and secure handover authentication protocol for a group of MTCDs supported by blockchain technology. This protocol leverages the decentralized nature of blockchain technology and combines it with certificateless aggregate signatures to mutually authenticate the identity of a base station and a group of MTCDs. This approach can reduce signaling overhead and avoid key escrow while significantly lowering the risk associated with single points of failure. Additionally, the protocol protects device anonymity by encrypting device identities with temporary anonymous identity markers with the Elliptic Curve Diffie–Hellman (ECDH) to abandon serial numbers to prevent linkage attacks. The resilience of the proposed protocol against predominant malicious attacks has been rigorously validated through the application of the BAN logic and Scyther tool, underscoring its robust security attributes. Furthermore, compared to the existing solutions, the proposed protocol significantly reduces the authentication cost for a group of MTCDs during handover, while ensuring security, demonstrating commendable efficiency.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/24/7/2331the fifth-generation cellular networkgroup handover authenticationMTCDblockchain |
| spellingShingle | Ronghao Ma Jianhong Zhou Maode Ma A Blockchain-Assisted Security Protocol for Group Handover of MTC Devices in 5G Wireless Networks Sensors the fifth-generation cellular network group handover authentication MTCD blockchain |
| title | A Blockchain-Assisted Security Protocol for Group Handover of MTC Devices in 5G Wireless Networks |
| title_full | A Blockchain-Assisted Security Protocol for Group Handover of MTC Devices in 5G Wireless Networks |
| title_fullStr | A Blockchain-Assisted Security Protocol for Group Handover of MTC Devices in 5G Wireless Networks |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Blockchain-Assisted Security Protocol for Group Handover of MTC Devices in 5G Wireless Networks |
| title_short | A Blockchain-Assisted Security Protocol for Group Handover of MTC Devices in 5G Wireless Networks |
| title_sort | blockchain assisted security protocol for group handover of mtc devices in 5g wireless networks |
| topic | the fifth-generation cellular network group handover authentication MTCD blockchain |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/24/7/2331 |
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