3,003 research outputs found
Model checking probabilistic and stochastic extensions of the pi-calculus
We present an implementation of model checking for probabilistic and stochastic extensions of the pi-calculus, a process algebra which supports modelling of concurrency and mobility. Formal verification techniques for such extensions have clear applications in several domains, including mobile ad-hoc network protocols, probabilistic security protocols and biological pathways. Despite this, no implementation of automated verification exists. Building upon the pi-calculus model checker MMC, we first show an automated procedure for constructing the underlying semantic model of a probabilistic or stochastic pi-calculus process. This can then be verified using existing probabilistic model checkers such as PRISM. Secondly, we demonstrate how for processes of a specific structure a more efficient, compositional approach is applicable, which uses our extension of MMC on each parallel component of the system and then translates the results into a high-level modular description for the PRISM tool. The feasibility of our techniques is demonstrated through a number of case studies from the pi-calculus literature
Actor-network procedures: Modeling multi-factor authentication, device pairing, social interactions
As computation spreads from computers to networks of computers, and migrates
into cyberspace, it ceases to be globally programmable, but it remains
programmable indirectly: network computations cannot be controlled, but they
can be steered by local constraints on network nodes. The tasks of
"programming" global behaviors through local constraints belong to the area of
security. The "program particles" that assure that a system of local
interactions leads towards some desired global goals are called security
protocols. As computation spreads beyond cyberspace, into physical and social
spaces, new security tasks and problems arise. As networks are extended by
physical sensors and controllers, including the humans, and interlaced with
social networks, the engineering concepts and techniques of computer security
blend with the social processes of security. These new connectors for
computational and social software require a new "discipline of programming" of
global behaviors through local constraints. Since the new discipline seems to
be emerging from a combination of established models of security protocols with
older methods of procedural programming, we use the name procedures for these
new connectors, that generalize protocols. In the present paper we propose
actor-networks as a formal model of computation in heterogenous networks of
computers, humans and their devices; and we introduce Procedure Derivation
Logic (PDL) as a framework for reasoning about security in actor-networks. On
the way, we survey the guiding ideas of Protocol Derivation Logic (also PDL)
that evolved through our work in security in last 10 years. Both formalisms are
geared towards graphic reasoning and tool support. We illustrate their workings
by analysing a popular form of two-factor authentication, and a multi-channel
device pairing procedure, devised for this occasion.Comment: 32 pages, 12 figures, 3 tables; journal submission; extended
references, added discussio
Actor Network Procedures as Psi-calculi for Security Ceremonies
The actor network procedures of Pavlovic and Meadows are a recent graphical
formalism developed for describing security ceremonies and for reasoning about
their security properties. The present work studies the relations of the actor
network procedures (ANP) to the recent psi-calculi framework. Psi-calculi is a
parametric formalism where calculi like spi- or applied-pi are found as
instances. Psi-calculi are operational and largely non-graphical, but have
strong foundation based on the theory of nominal sets and process algebras. One
purpose of the present work is to give a semantics to ANP through psi-calculi.
Another aim was to give a graphical language for a psi-calculus instance for
security ceremonies. At the same time, this work provides more insight into the
details of the ANPs formalization and the graphical representation.Comment: In Proceedings GraMSec 2014, arXiv:1404.163
Computationally Sound Compositional Logic for Security Protocols
We have been developing a cryptographically sound formal logic for proving protocol security properties without explicitly reasoning about probability, asymptotic complexity, or the actions of a malicious attacker. The approach rests on a probabilistic, polynomial-time semantics for a protocol security logic that was originally developed using nondeterministic symbolic semantics. This workshop presentation will discuss ways in which the computational semantics lead to different reasoning methods and report our progress to date in several directions. One significant difference between the symbolic and computational settings results from the computational difference between efficiently recognizing and efficiently producing a value. Among the more recent developments are a compositional method for proving cryptographically sound properties of key exchange protocols, and some work on secrecy properties that illustrates the computational interpretation of inductive properties of protocol roles
Quantifying pervasive authentication: the case of the Hancke-Kuhn protocol
As mobile devices pervade physical space, the familiar authentication
patterns are becoming insufficient: besides entity authentication, many
applications require, e.g., location authentication. Many interesting protocols
have been proposed and implemented to provide such strengthened forms of
authentication, but there are very few proofs that such protocols satisfy the
required security properties. The logical formalisms, devised for reasoning
about security protocols on standard computer networks, turn out to be
difficult to adapt for reasoning about hybrid protocols, used in pervasive and
heterogenous networks.
We refine the Dolev-Yao-style algebraic method for protocol analysis by a
probabilistic model of guessing, needed to analyze protocols that mix weak
cryptography with physical properties of nonstandard communication channels.
Applying this model, we provide a precise security proof for a proximity
authentication protocol, due to Hancke and Kuhn, that uses a subtle form of
probabilistic reasoning to achieve its goals.Comment: 31 pages, 2 figures; short version of this paper appeared in the
Proceedings of MFPS 201
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