Title: Hash chains with diminishing ranges for sensors

Authors: Phillip G. Bradford, Olga V. Gavrylyako

Addresses: Department of Computer Science, The University of Alabama, P.O. Box 870290, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0290, USA. ' Department of Computer Science, The University of Alabama, P.O. Box 870290, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0290, USA

Abstract: Sensors and other constrained devices periodically transmit small information packets motivating the study of hash chains with small domains and ranges. Hash chain based protocols use deferred disclosure and it is often assumed their hash functions are one-way, thus essentially unbreakable. However, if a deterministic hash function|s domain and range are both very small, then the hash function can|t be one-way. This paper proposes a solution to this challenge – general hash chains. General hash chains have the following properties: repeated hash elements don|t indicate cycles; subsequent hash elements don|t have exponentially diminishing ranges.

Keywords: constrained sensors; hash chains; deferred disclosure; bounded range; bounded domain; security protocols.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHPCN.2006.010201

International Journal of High Performance Computing and Networking, 2006 Vol.4 No.1/2, pp.31 - 38

Published online: 09 Jul 2006 *

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