Access Point Security Service for wireless ad-hoc communication

Abstract

This paper describes the design and implementation of a security solution for ad-hoc peer-to-peer communication. The security solution is based on a scenario where two wireless devices require secure communication, but share no security relationship a priori. The necessary requirements for the security solution described here comprise topics such as energy efficiency, security standards and ad-hoc networks. The devised solution is called Access Point Security Service (APSS). APSS is able to provide security by delivering a symmetric key to two wireless devices that require ad-hoc peer-to-peer communication. The main principle of APSS is that it makes use of an existing security relationship between a network provider and its customers. The existing security relationship enables the network provider to deliver security to two or more communicating parties in the form of a shared key. An implementation of APSS is provided making use of the existing Wi-Fi security standards