Secure identity management in structured peer-to-peer (P2P) networks

Structured Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks were proposed to solve routing problems of big distributed infrastructures. But the research community has been questioning their security for years. Most prior work in security services was focused on secure routing, reputation systems, anonymity, etc. However, the proper management of identities is an important prerequisite to provide most of these security services. The existence of anonymous nodes and the lack of a centralized authority capable of monitoring (and/or punishing) nodes make these systems more vulnerable against selfish or malicious behaviors. Moreover, these improper usages cannot be faced only with data confidentiality, nodes authentication, non-repudiation, etc. In particular, structured P2P networks should follow the following secure routing primitives: (1) secure maintenance of routing tables, (2) secure routing of messages, and (3) secure identity assignment to nodes. But the first two problems depend in some way on the third one. If nodes’ identifiers can be chosen by users without any control, these networks can have security and operational problems. Therefore, like any other network or service, structured P2P networks require a robust access control to prevent potential attackers joining the network and a robust identity assignment system to guarantee their proper operation. In this thesis, firstly, we analyze the operation of the current structured P2P networks when managing identities in order to identify what security problems are related to the nodes’ identifiers within the overlay, and propose a series of requirements to be accomplished by any generated node ID to provide more security to a DHT-based structured P2P network. Secondly, we propose the use of implicit certificates to provide more security and to exploit the improvement in bandwidth, storage and performance that these certificates present compared to explicit certificates, design three protocols to assign nodes’ identifiers avoiding the identified problems, while maintaining user anonymity and allowing users’ traceability. Finally, we analyze the operation of the most used mechanisms to distribute revocation data in the Internet, with special focus on the proposed systems to work in P2P networks, and design a new mechanism to distribute revocation data more efficiently in a structured P2P network.Las redes P2P estructuradas fueron propuestas para solventar problemas de enrutamiento en infraestructuras de grandes dimensiones pero su nivel de seguridad lleva años siendo cuestionado por la comunidad investigadora. La mayor parte de los trabajos que intentan mejorar la seguridad de estas redes se han centrado en proporcionar encaminamiento seguro, sistemas de reputación, anonimato de los usuarios, etc. Sin embargo, la adecuada gestión de las identidades es un requisito sumamente importante para proporcionar los servicios mencionados anteriormente. La existencia de nodos anónimos y la falta de una autoridad centralizada capaz de monitorizar (y/o penalizar) a los nodos hace que estos sistemas sean más vulnerables que otros a comportamientos maliciosos por parte de los usuarios. Además, esos comportamientos inadecuados no pueden ser detectados proporcionando únicamente confidencialidad de los datos, autenticación de los nodos, no repudio, etc. Las redes P2P estructuradas deberían seguir las siguientes primitivas de enrutamiento seguro: (1) mantenimiento seguro de las tablas de enrutamiento, (2) enrutamiento seguro de los mensajes, and (3) asignación segura de las identidades. Pero la primera de los dos primitivas depende de alguna forma de la tercera. Si las identidades de los nodos pueden ser elegidas por sus usuarios sin ningún tipo de control, muy probablemente aparecerán muchos problemas de funcionamiento y seguridad. Por lo tanto, de la misma forma que otras redes y servicios, las redes P2P estructuradas requieren de un control de acceso robusto para prevenir la presencia de atacantes potenciales, y un sistema robusto de asignación de identidades para garantizar su adecuado funcionamiento. En esta tesis, primero de todo analizamos el funcionamiento de las redes P2P estructuradas basadas en el uso de DHTs (Tablas de Hash Distribuidas), cómo gestionan las identidades de sus nodos, identificamos qué problemas de seguridad están relacionados con la identificación de los nodos y proponemos una serie de requisitos para generar identificadores de forma segura. Más adelante proponemos el uso de certificados implícitos para proporcionar más seguridad y explotar las mejoras en consumo de ancho de banda, almacenamiento y rendimiento que proporcionan estos certificados en comparación con los certificados explícitos. También hemos diseñado tres protocolos de asignación segura de identidades, los cuales evitan la mayor parte de los problemas identificados mientras mantienen el anonimato de los usuarios y la trazabilidad. Finalmente hemos analizado el funcionamiento de la mayoría de los mecanismos utilizados para distribuir datos de revocación en Internet, con especial interés en los sistemas propuestos para operar en redes P2P, y hemos diseñado un nuevo mecanismo para distribuir datos de revocación de forma más eficiente en redes P2P estructuradas.Postprint (published version

Implementacion de Ipsec en una arquitectura TCP splitting

El rendimiento de las aplicaciones que utilizan el protocolo de transporte TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) sobre enlaces vía satélite tiene una degradación significativa. Esto se debe principalmente a que el algoritmo de control de congestión estándar de TCP no es adecuado para superar las deficiencias de las redes satelitales. TCP splitting es una solución prometedora para mejorar el rendimiento general de TCP, incluso en el segmento satelital. La división de la conexión TCP se logra mediante la instalación de dos PEPs (Performance Enhancement Proxies) en los extremos del segmento satelital. Sin embargo, la división de TCP entra en conflicto con IPsec. Si el cifrado y/o la autenticación son aplicados sobre los datagramas IP, el PEP no puede manipular las correspondientes cabeceras IP y TCP para dividir las conexiones TCP. En este trabajo presentamos tres propuestas para implementar IPsec en un escenario TCP splitting, proporcionando los servicios de seguridad habituales y un buen rendimiento en la conexión vía satélite. La idea básica es permitir a los PEPs manipular las cabeceras IP y TCP en función del nivel de confianza que los usuarios tengan en ellos.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition)

In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. For example, a key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process versus those that measure fl ux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process including the amount and rate of cargo sequestered and degraded). In particular, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation must be differentiated from stimuli that increase autophagic activity, defi ned as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (inmost higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium ) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the fi eld understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. It is worth emphasizing here that lysosomal digestion is a stage of autophagy and evaluating its competence is a crucial part of the evaluation of autophagic flux, or complete autophagy. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. Along these lines, because of the potential for pleiotropic effects due to blocking autophagy through genetic manipulation it is imperative to delete or knock down more than one autophagy-related gene. In addition, some individual Atg proteins, or groups of proteins, are involved in other cellular pathways so not all Atg proteins can be used as a specific marker for an autophagic process. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular autophagy assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

RIAPPA: a robust identity assignment protocol for P2P overlays

Peer-to-peer (P2P) overlay networks have been proposed to solve routing problems of big distributed infrastructures, even for Internet scale. But the research community has been questioning the security of these networks for years. Most prior work in security services was focused on trust and reputation systems, anonymity, and secure routing. However, the proper management of identities in overlays is an important prerequisite to provide most of these security services. In this paper, we propose a protocol to control the access to a P2P overlay and to assign identities in a secure way; all this preserving the anonymity of users. This protocol involves two trusted third parties (TTPs), thanks to which it is possible to preserve the users' anonymity within the network without losing traceability. Users are authenticated by a TTP using real-world digital certificates, they select their network identifier jointly with the other TTP, and finally, the two TTPs issue the internal certificate to them. The protocol also provides revocability and protection against Sybil attacks, Eclipse attacks, whitewashers, and so on. A detailed protocol description is presented, and a performance and security analysis of the protocol is also provided. Copyright (c) 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

The design and manufacture of ply-web beams

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:2277.48(BRE-IP--7/88) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Implementacion de Ipsec en una arquitectura TCP splitting

El rendimiento de las aplicaciones que utilizan el protocolo de transporte TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) sobre enlaces vía satélite tiene una degradación significativa. Esto se debe principalmente a que el algoritmo de control de congestión estándar de TCP no es adecuado para superar las deficiencias de las redes satelitales. TCP splitting es una solución prometedora para mejorar el rendimiento general de TCP, incluso en el segmento satelital. La división de la conexión TCP se logra mediante la instalación de dos PEPs (Performance Enhancement Proxies) en los extremos del segmento satelital. Sin embargo, la división de TCP entra en conflicto con IPsec. Si el cifrado y/o la autenticación son aplicados sobre los datagramas IP, el PEP no puede manipular las correspondientes cabeceras IP y TCP para dividir las conexiones TCP. En este trabajo presentamos tres propuestas para implementar IPsec en un escenario TCP splitting, proporcionando los servicios de seguridad habituales y un buen rendimiento en la conexión vía satélite. La idea básica es permitir a los PEPs manipular las cabeceras IP y TCP en función del nivel de confianza que los usuarios tengan en ellos.Peer Reviewe

NeuroCast: adaptive multi-source P2P video streaming application for wireless networks

Streaming consists in distributing media to large audiences over a computer network. Providing a streaming service for wireless mobile nodes presents many challenges. A peer-to-peer (P2P) solution has the big advantage of seamlessly scaling to arbitrary population sizes, as every node that receives the video, while consuming resources, can at the same time offer its own upload bandwidth to serve other nodes. In this paper we present the design and implementation of NeuroCast: an unstructured P2P application for video streaming. NeuroCast implements a robust scheduling algorithm which minimizes the scheduling delay. Moreover, given heterogeneous contents, delays and bandwidths. Thus, NeuroCast becomes suitable for wireless scenarios due to its capability to adapt to changing network conditions.Peer Reviewe

Securing identity assignment using implicit certificates in P2P overlays

The security of the Peer-to-Peer (P2P) overlays networks has been questioned for years. Many works have been proposed to provide secure routing, anonymity, reputation systems, confidentiality, etc. However, the identity assignment has been less considered. These networks are designed so that each user has a unique identifier (nodeID), but the most of identity assignment systems allow malicious users to obtain a set of nodeIDs or even select certain identifiers. Thus, these users can disrupt the proper operation of a P2P overlay. In this paper, we propose a nodeID assignment protocol based on the issue of implicit certificates. Our purpose is to provide security services to struggle against the most of security threats in these networks with special attention to the identity assignment. This approach is based on the use of certificates and the joint generation of nodeIDs between a Certification Authority (CA) and the user. In addition, the use of implicit certificates presents certain advantages over the use of traditional certificates (explicit certificates).Peer Reviewe

Analysis of video streaming performance in vehicular networks

Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs) have been mainly motivated for safety applications, but non-safety applications can also be very helpful to impulse vehicular networks. Among non-safety applications, video streaming services can provide attractive features to many applications and can attract a great number of users. However, VANETs high mobility characteristics and packet loss during communications blackouts difficult the deployment of video services in vehicular networks. In this paper, the performance of a video streaming service has been analyzed to study the deployability of a video on demand service in a highway environment for vehicular users. It has been analyzed the packet loss produced by network reconfiguration during handoffs and its influence in the video streamed quality. Using Mobile IP without and with fast handoffs we have gauge the effects of mobility over the video transmission. We show that although fast handoffs techniques minimize blackouts, they limit the deployment of video streaming services in vehicular networks.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version