Automata-based Analysis of Recursive Cryptographic Protocols

Cryptographic protocols can be divided into (1) protocols where the protocol steps are simple from a computational point of view and can thus be modeled by simple means, for instance, single rewrite rules---we call these protocols non-looping---and (2) protocols, such as group protocols, where the protocol steps are complex and typically involve an iterative or recursive computation---we call them recursive. While many results on the decidability of security are known for non-looping protocols, only little is known for recursive protocols. In this paper, we prove decidability of security (w.r.t.~the standard Dolev-Yao intruder) for a core class of recursive protocols and undecidability for several extensions. The key ingredient of our protocol model are specifically designed tree transducers which work over infinite signatures and have the ability to generate new constants (which allow us to mimic key generation). The decidability result is based on an automata-theoretic construction which involves a new notion of regularity, designed to work well with the infinite signatures we use

Implementation of Quantum Key Distribution Protocols

As a wide spectrum of the human activity rapidly transitions to a digital environment, the need for secure and efficient communication intensifies. The currently used public key distribution cryptosystems, such as the Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA) protocol, source their security from the computational difficulty of certain mathematical problems. While widely successful, the security these cryptosystems offer remains heuristic and the development of Quantum computers may render them obsolete. The security that Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) guarantees, stems not from the mathematical complexity of the encryption algorithms but from the laws of Quantum Physics. Implementations of QKD protocols, however, rely on imperfect instruments and devices for information encoding, transmission and detection. Device imperfections limit the rate of information exchange and introduce vulnerabilities which can be exploited by a potential eavesdropper. This work explores practical aspects of QKD as it matures beyond proof-of-principle experiments, focusing on the Measurement Device Independent - QKD, a novel Quantum Communication protocol that offers an exceptional balance between security and efficiency. At the heart of the MDI-QKD lies the Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference which characterizes the indistinguishability of the photon states that the communicating parties independently send. This study examines the HOM interference in a realistic lab environment and concludes that exceptional interference visibility can be achieved using typical commercially available optical devices and detectors, further demonstrating the applicability of the MDI-QKD protocol. An important limiting factor for every Quantum Communication protocol is the transmission medium. Fiber - based optical networks suffer significant losses that prohibit Quantum Communication beyond metropolitan scales. While Free Space communication is an attractive alternative for long distance communication, is susceptible to losses due to the atmospheric Turbulence of the channel. As a means to improve the key generation efficiency, this work examines and experimentally demonstrates the Prefixed-Threshold Real Time Selection (P-RTS) scheme, which improves the free-space communication efficiency by rejecting detections that occur while the channel transmittance drops below a predetermined threshold

Symbolic Analysis of Cryptographic Protocols

We rely on the security properties of cryptographic protocols every day while browsing the Internet or withdrawing money from an ATM. However, many of the protocols we use today were standardized without a proof of security. Serious flaws in protocols restrict the level of security we can reach for applications. This thesis motivates why we should strive for proofs of security and provides a framework that makes using automated tools to conduct such proofs more feasible