An Outline of Security in Wireless Sensor Networks: Threats, Countermeasures and Implementations

With the expansion of wireless sensor networks (WSNs), the need for securing the data flow through these networks is increasing. These sensor networks allow for easy-to-apply and flexible installations which have enabled them to be used for numerous applications. Due to these properties, they face distinct information security threats. Security of the data flowing through across networks provides the researchers with an interesting and intriguing potential for research. Design of these networks to ensure the protection of data faces the constraints of limited power and processing resources. We provide the basics of wireless sensor network security to help the researchers and engineers in better understanding of this applications field. In this chapter, we will provide the basics of information security with special emphasis on WSNs. The chapter will also give an overview of the information security requirements in these networks. Threats to the security of data in WSNs and some of their counter measures are also presented

A Smart Approach for GPT Cryptosystem Based on Rank Codes

The concept of Public- key cryptosystem was innovated by McEliece's cryptosystem. The public key cryptosystem based on rank codes was presented in 1991 by Gabidulin -Paramonov-Trejtakov(GPT). The use of rank codes in cryptographic applications is advantageous since it is practically impossible to utilize combinatoric decoding. This has enabled using public keys of a smaller size. Respective structural attacks against this system were proposed by Gibson and recently by Overbeck. Overbeck's attacks break many versions of the GPT cryptosystem and are turned out to be either polynomial or exponential depending on parameters of the cryptosystem. In this paper, we introduce a new approach, called the Smart approach, which is based on a proper choice of the distortion matrix X. The Smart approach allows for withstanding all known attacks even if the column scrambler matrix P over the base field Fq.Comment: 5 pages. to appear in Proceedings of IEEE ISIT201

On the Duality of Probing and Fault Attacks

In this work we investigate the problem of simultaneous privacy and integrity protection in cryptographic circuits. We consider a white-box scenario with a powerful, yet limited attacker. A concise metric for the level of probing and fault security is introduced, which is directly related to the capabilities of a realistic attacker. In order to investigate the interrelation of probing and fault security we introduce a common mathematical framework based on the formalism of information and coding theory. The framework unifies the known linear masking schemes. We proof a central theorem about the properties of linear codes which leads to optimal secret sharing schemes. These schemes provide the lower bound for the number of masks needed to counteract an attacker with a given strength. The new formalism reveals an intriguing duality principle between the problems of probing and fault security, and provides a unified view on privacy and integrity protection using error detecting codes. Finally, we introduce a new class of linear tamper-resistant codes. These are eligible to preserve security against an attacker mounting simultaneous probing and fault attacks

Enumerative Coding for Grassmannian Space

The Grassmannian space \Gr is the set of all $k-$dimensional subspaces of the vector space~\smash{\F_q^n}. Recently, codes in the Grassmannian have found an application in network coding. The main goal of this paper is to present efficient enumerative encoding and decoding techniques for the Grassmannian. These coding techniques are based on two different orders for the Grassmannian induced by different representations of $k$-dimensional subspaces of \F_q^n. One enumerative coding method is based on a Ferrers diagram representation and on an order for \Gr based on this representation. The complexity of this enumerative coding is $O(k^{5/2} (n-k)^{5/2})$ digit operations. Another order of the Grassmannian is based on a combination of an identifying vector and a reduced row echelon form representation of subspaces. The complexity of the enumerative coding, based on this order, is $O(nk(n-k)\log n\log\log n)$ digits operations. A combination of the two methods reduces the complexity on average by a constant factor.Comment: to appear in IEEE Transactions on Information Theor

Agonistic behavior of captive saltwater crocodile, crocodylus porosus in Kota Tinggi, Johor

Agonistic behavior in Crocodylus porosus is well known in the wild, but the available data regarding this behavior among the captive individuals especially in a farm setting is rather limited. Studying the aggressive behavior of C. porosus in captivity is important because the data obtained may contribute for conservation and the safety for handlers and visitors. Thus, this study focuses on C. porosus in captivity to describe systematically the agonistic behaviour of C. porosus in relation to feeding time, daytime or night and density per pool. This study was carried out for 35 days in two different ponds. The data was analysed using Pearson’s chi-square analysis to see the relationship between categorical factors. The study shows that C. porosus was more aggressive during daylight, feeding time and non-feeding time in breeding enclosure (Pond C, stock density =0.0369 crocodiles/m2) as compared to non-breeding pond (Pond B, stock density =0.3317 crocodiles/m2) where it is only aggressive during the nighttime. Pond C shows the higher domination in the value of aggression in feeding and non-feeding time where it is related to its function as breeding ground. Chi-square analysis shows that there is no significant difference between ponds (p=0.47, χ2= 2.541, df= 3), thus, there is no relationship between categorical factors. The aggressive behaviour of C. porosus is important for the farm management to evaluate the risk in future for the translocation process and conservation of C. porosus generally