Secure communication using dynamic VPN provisioning in an Inter-Cloud environment

Most of the current cloud computing platforms offer Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) model, which aims to provision basic virtualised computing resources as on-demand and dynamic services. Nevertheless, a single cloud does not have limitless resources to offer to its users, hence the notion of an Inter-Cloud enviroment where a cloud can use the infrastructure resources of other clouds. However, there is no common framework in existence that allows the srevice owners to seamlessly provision even some basic services across multiple cloud service providers, albeit not due to any inherent incompatibility or proprietary nature of the foundation technologies on which these cloud platforms are built. In this paper we present a novel solution which aims to cover a gap in a subsection of this problem domain. Our solution offer a security architecture that enables service owners to provision a dynamic and service-oriented secure virtual private network on top of multiple cloud IaaS providers. It does this by leveraging the scalability, robustness and flexibility of peer- to-peer overlay techniques to eliminate the manual configuration, key management and peer churn problems encountered in setting up the secure communication channels dynamically, between different components of a typical service that is deployed on multiple clouds. We present the implementation details of our solution as well as experimental results carried out on two commercial clouds

A Security-aware Approach to JXTA-Overlay Primitives

The JXTA-Overlay project is an effort to use JXTA technology to provide a generic set of functionalities that can be used by developers to deploy P2P applications. Since its design mainly focuses on issues such as scalability or overall performance, it does not take security into account. However, as P2P applications have evolved to fulfill more complex scenarios, security has become a very important aspect to take into account when evaluating a P2P framework. This work proposes a security extension specifically suited to JXTA-Overlay¿s idiosyncrasies, providing an acceptable solution to some of its current shortcomings.El proyecto JXTA-Overlay es un esfuerzo por utilizar la tecnología JXTA para proporcionar un conjunto genérico de funciones que pueden ser utilizadas por los desarrolladores para desplegar aplicaciones P2P. Aunque su diseño se centra principalmente en cuestiones como la escalabilidad y el rendimiento general, no tiene en cuenta la seguridad. Sin embargo, como las aplicaciones P2P se han desarrollado para cumplir con escenarios más complejos, la seguridad se ha convertido en un aspecto muy importante a tener en cuenta a la hora de evaluar un marco P2P. Este artículo propone una extensión de seguridad específicamente adaptada a la idiosincrasia de JXTA-Overlay, proporcionando una solución aceptable para algunas de sus deficiencias actuales.El projecte JXTA-Overlay és un esforç per utilitzar la tecnologia JXTA per proporcionar un conjunt genèric de funcions que poden ser utilitzades pels desenvolupadors per desplegar aplicacions P2P. Tot i que el seu disseny se centra principalment en qüestions com ara la escalabilitat i el rendiment general, no té en compte la seguretat. No obstant això, com que les aplicacions P2P s'han desenvolupat per complir amb escenaris més complexos, la seguretat s'ha convertit en un aspecte molt important a tenir en compte a l'hora d'avaluar un marc P2P. Aquest article proposa una extensió de seguretat específicament adaptada a la idiosincràsia de JXTA-Overlay, proporcionant una solució acceptable per a algunes de les seves deficiències actuals

Dynamic virtual private network provisioning from multiple cloud infrastructure service providers

The Cloud infrastructure service providers currently provision basic virtualized computing resources as on demand and dynamic services but there is no common framework in existence that allows the seamless provisioning of even these basic services across multiple cloud service providers, although this is not due to any inherent incompatibility or proprietary nature of the foundation technologies on which these cloud platforms are built. We present a solution idea which aims to provide a dynamic and service oriented provisioning of secure virtual private networks on top of multiple cloud infrastructure service providers. This solution leverages the benefits of peer to peer overlay networks, i.e., the flexibility and scalability to handle the churn of nodes joining and leaving the VPNs and can adapt the topology of the VPN as per the requirements of the applications utilizing its intercloud secure communication framework

A Security Framework for JXTA-Overlay

En l'actualitat, la maduresa del camp de la investigació P2P empès a través de nous problemes, relacionats amb la seguretat. Per aquesta raó, la seguretat comença a convertir-se en una de les qüestions clau en l'avaluació d'un sistema P2P, i és important proporcionar mecanismes de seguretat per a sistemes P2P. El projecte JXTAOverlay fa un esforç per utilitzar la tecnologia JXTA per proporcionar un conjunt genèric de funcions que poden ser utilitzades pels desenvolupadors per desplegar aplicacions P2P. No obstant això, encara que el seu disseny es va centrar en qüestions com ara l'escalabilitat o el rendiment general, no va tenir en compte la seguretat. Aquest treball proposa un marc de seguretat, adaptat específicament a la idiosincràsia del JXTAOverlay.At present time, the maturity of P2P research field has pushed through new problems such us those related with security. For that reason, security starts to become one of the key issues when evaluating a P2P system and it is important to provide security mechanisms to P2P systems. The JXTAOverlay project is an effort to use JXTA technology to provide a generic set of functionalities that can be used by developers to deploy P2P applications. However, since its design focused on issues such as scalability or overall performance, it did not take security into account. This work proposes a security framework specifically suited to JXTAOverlay¿s idiosyncrasies.En la actualidad, la madurez del campo de la investigación P2P empujado a través de nuevos problemas, relacionados con la seguridad. Por esta razón, la seguridad comienza a convertirse en una de las cuestiones clave en la evaluación de un sistema P2P, y es importante proporcionar mecanismos de seguridad para sistemas P2P. El proyecto JXTAOverlay hace un esfuerzo por utilizar la tecnología JXTA para proporcionar un conjunto genérico de funciones que pueden ser utilizadas por los desarrolladores para desplegar aplicaciones P2P. Sin embargo, aunque su diseño se centró en cuestiones como la escalabilidad o el rendimiento general, no tuvo en cuenta la seguridad. Este trabajo propone un marco de seguridad, adaptado específicamente a la idiosincrasia del JXTAOverlay

A multifaceted formal analysis of end-to-end encrypted email protocols and cryptographic authentication enhancements

Largely owing to cryptography, modern messaging tools (e.g., Signal) have reached a considerable degree of sophistication, balancing advanced security features with high usability. This has not been the case for email, which however, remains the most pervasive and interoperable form of digital communication. As sensitive information (e.g., identification documents, bank statements, or the message in the email itself) is frequently exchanged by this means, protecting the privacy of email communications is a justified concern which has been emphasized in the last years. A great deal of effort has gone into the development of tools and techniques for providing email communications with privacy and security, requirements that were not originally considered. Yet, drawbacks across several dimensions hinder the development of a global solution that would strengthen security while maintaining the standard features that we expect from email clients. In this thesis, we present improvements to security in email communications. Relying on formal methods and cryptography, we design and assess security protocols and analysis techniques, and propose enhancements to implemented approaches for end-to-end secure email communication. In the first part, we propose a methodical process relying on code reverse engineering, which we use to abstract the specifications of two end-to-end security protocols from a secure email solution (called pEp); then, we apply symbolic verification techniques to analyze such protocols with respect to privacy and authentication properties. We also introduce a novel formal framework that enables a system's security analysis aimed at detecting flaws caused by possible discrepancies between the user's and the system's assessment of security. Security protocols, along with user perceptions and interaction traces, are modeled as transition systems; socio-technical security properties are defined as formulas in computation tree logic (CTL), which can then be verified by model checking. Finally, we propose a protocol that aims at securing a password-based authentication system designed to detect the leakage of a password database, from a code-corruption attack. In the second part, the insights gained by the analysis in Part I allow us to propose both, theoretical and practical solutions for improving security and usability aspects, primarily of email communication, but from which secure messaging solutions can benefit too. The first enhancement concerns the use of password-authenticated key exchange (PAKE) protocols for entity authentication in peer-to-peer decentralized settings, as a replacement for out-of-band channels; this brings provable security to the so far empirical process, and enables the implementation of further security and usability properties (e.g., forward secrecy, secure secret retrieval). A second idea refers to the protection of weak passwords at rest and in transit, for which we propose a scheme based on the use of a one-time-password; furthermore, we consider potential approaches for improving this scheme. The hereby presented research was conducted as part of an industrial partnership between SnT/University of Luxembourg and pEp Security S.A

On Secure Workflow Decentralisation on the Internet

Decentralised workflow management systems are a new research area, where most work to-date has focused on the system's overall architecture. As little attention has been given to the security aspects in such systems, we follow a security driven approach, and consider, from the perspective of available security building blocks, how security can be implemented and what new opportunities are presented when empowering the decentralised environment with modern distributed security protocols. Our research is motivated by a more general question of how to combine the positive enablers that email exchange enjoys, with the general benefits of workflow systems, and more specifically with the benefits that can be introduced in a decentralised environment. This aims to equip email users with a set of tools to manage the semantics of a message exchange, contents, participants and their roles in the exchange in an environment that provides inherent assurances of security and privacy. This work is based on a survey of contemporary distributed security protocols, and considers how these protocols could be used in implementing a distributed workflow management system with decentralised control . We review a set of these protocols, focusing on the required message sequences in reviewing the protocols, and discuss how these security protocols provide the foundations for implementing core control-flow, data, and resource patterns in a distributed workflow environment