Biometric identity-based cryptography for e-Government environment

Government information is a vital asset that must be kept in a trusted environment and efficiently managed by authorised parties. Even though e-Government provides a number of advantages, it also introduces a range of new security risks. Sharing confidential and top-secret information in a secure manner among government sectors tend to be the main element that government agencies look for. Thus, developing an effective methodology is essential and it is a key factor for e-Government success. The proposed e-Government scheme in this paper is a combination of identity-based encryption and biometric technology. This new scheme can effectively improve the security in authentication systems, which provides a reliable identity with a high degree of assurance. In addition, this paper demonstrates the feasibility of using Finite-state machines as a formal method to analyse the proposed protocols

Analysis of security protocols using finite-state machines

This paper demonstrates a comprehensive analysis method using formal methods such as finite-state machine. First, we describe the modified version of our new protocol and briefly explain the encrypt-then-authenticate mechanism, which is regarded as more a secure mechanism than the one used in our protocol. Then, we use a finite-state verification to study the behaviour of each machine created for each phase of the protocol and examine their behaviour s together. Modelling with finite-state machines shows that the modified protocol can function correctly and behave properly even with invalid input or time delay

Modelling and simulation of a biometric identity-based cryptography

Government information is a vital asset that must be kept in a trusted environment and efficiently managed by authorised parties. Even though e-Government provides a number of advantages, it also introduces a range of new security risks. Sharing confidential and top-secret information in a secure manner among government sectors tend to be the main element that government agencies look for. Thus, developing an effective methodology is essential and it is a key factor for e-Government success. The proposed e-Government scheme in this paper is a combination of identity-based encryption and biometric technology. This new scheme can effectively improve the security in authentication systems, which provides a reliable identity with a high degree of assurance. In addition, this paper demonstrates the feasibility of using Finite-state machines as a formal method to analyse the proposed protocols

A novel authentication protocol based on biometric and identity-based cryptography

Recently, considerable attention has been devoted to distributed systems. It has become obvious that a high security level should be a fundamental prerequisite for organisations' processes, both in the commercial and public sectors. A crucial foundation for securing a network is the ability to reliably authenticate ommunication parties. However, these systems face some critical security risks and challenges when they attempt to stabilise between security, efficiency and functionality. Developing a secure authentication protocol can be challenging; this thesis proposes an authentication scheme that employs two authentication factors involving something you know (password) and something you are (biometric) based on Identity-Based Cryptography and Elliptic Curve Cryptography. Two protocols have been chosen that provide mutual authentication and secure key exchange, which are the equivalent to the Diffie-Hellman key exchange. Due to a potential flaw in the protocols, guarding against attacks can be challenging. In order to alleviate some of the issues encountered with the new protocol, this thesis uses the encrypt-then-authenticate method. Formal verification methods are used to evaluate the new protocol. First, finite-state machines are used to examine and predict the behaviour of the protocol. Modelling with this method shows that the new protocol can function correctly and behave correctly within the protocol description, even with invalid input or time delay. Second, Petri nets are used to model, simulate and analyse the new protocol. This thesis formulates several attack models via Petri nets in which the security of the proposed protocols is discussed precisely. Ultimately, this novel work ensures that the new protocol provides a coherent security concept and can be implemented over insecure channels while offering secure mutual authentication

A new biometric ID-based cryptography protocol and security analysis using Petri nets

This paper presents a Petri net (PN) approach to modelling, simulating, and analysing the new protocol we have proposed. This new protocol is an enhanced authentication scheme based on a biometric verification mechanism and identity based cryptography. A formal approach like Petri nets allows one to represent cryptographic protocols. For the sake of simplicity, a complex PN model will not be discussed in this paper until all attacks are demonstrated and the model proved to be secure. This paper shows how Petri nets are used to model, analyse and detect flaws in our new protocol. First, our proposed protocol is modelled without an adversary, and then a generic adversary model is added to examine all possible adversary behaviours. Finally we demonstrate how Petri nets can be used to analyse security threats such as man-in-the-middle attack, reflection attack, and parallel session attack on this protocol

Loss of SMPD4 Causes a Developmental Disorder Characterized by Microcephaly and Congenital Arthrogryposis

Sphingomyelinases generate ceramide from sphingomyelin as a second messenger in intracellular signaling pathways involved in cell proliferation, differentiation, or apoptosis. Children from 12 unrelated families presented with microcephaly, simplified gyral pattern of the cortex, hypomyelination, cerebellar hypoplasia, congenital arthrogryposis, and early fetal/postnatal demise. Genomic analysis revealed bi-allelic loss-of-function variants in SMPD4, coding for the neutral sphingomyelinase-3 (nSMase-3/SMPD4). Overexpression of human Myc-tagged SMPD4 showed localization both to the outer nuclear envelope and the ER and additionally revealed interactions with several nuclear pore complex proteins by proteomics analysis. Fibroblasts from affected individuals showed ER cisternae abnormalities, suspected for increased autophagy, and were more susceptible to apoptosis under stress conditions, while treatment with siSMPD4 caused delayed cell cycle progression. Our data show that SMPD4 links homeostasis of membrane sphingolipids to cell fate by regulating the cross-talk between the ER and the outer nuclear envelope, while its loss reveals a pathogenic mechanism in microcephaly

Loss of SMPD4 Causes a Developmental Disorder Characterized by Microcephaly and Congenital Arthrogryposis

Sphingomyelinases generate ceramide from sphingomyelin as a second messenger in intracellular signaling pathways involved in cell proliferation, differentiation, or apoptosis. Children from 12 unrelated families presented with microcephaly, simplified gyral pattern of the cortex, hypomyelination, cerebellar hypoplasia, congenital arthrogryposis, and early fetal/postnatal demise. Genomic analysis revealed bi-allelic loss-of-function variants in SMPD4, coding for the neutral sphingomyelinase-3 (nSMase-3/SMPD4). Overexpression of human Myc-tagged SMPD4 showed localization both to the outer nuclear envelope and the ER and additionally revealed interactions with several nuclear pore complex proteins by proteomics analysis. Fibroblasts from affected individuals showed ER cisternae abnormalities, suspected for increased autophagy, and were more susceptible to apoptosis under stress conditions, while treatment with siSMPD4 caused delayed cell cycle progression. Our data show that SMPD4 links homeostasis of membrane sphingolipids to cell fate by regulating the cross-talk between the ER and the outer nuclear envelope, while its loss reveals a pathogenic mechanism in microcephaly