A Security Scheme for Home Networked Appliances

The term peer-to-peer refers to the concept that in a network of equals (peers) using appropriate information and communication systems, two or more individuals are able to spontaneously collaborate without centralized coordination. A Network Appliance is defined as a dedicated function consumer device with an embedded processor and a network connection. Security for distributed peer-to-peer devices in distributed network environments presents many challenges, and remains a largely unresolved issue. Considering security, various schemes have been proposed, however research shows various weaknesses within the reported solutions. We have proposed and implemented Home Networked Appliances Security Scheme (HNASS) to secure communication among peers utilizing the services of home networked appliances. The key feature of this scheme is utilization of a simple distributed architecture able to protect peers both within and outside the network in a flexible way. We believe this scheme can be developed into a more generalized security standard for protecting interacting networked appliances.