Private Entity Authentication for Pervasive Computing Environments

Entity authentication becomes ubiquitously necessary in pervasive computing environments. We provide taxonomy of entity authentication between keys and locks. Based on the discussion, we propose a novel authentication approach for pervasive computing environments. A person uses a single device, the Master Key, which aggregates all his digital keys for entity authentication. The Master Key initiates authentication and selects proper keys by exchanging code words with locks. With an emphasis on usability, the Master Key secures authentication, keeps authentication private, and supports various key-lock interactions. We analyze privacy and security properties, verify the protocols, and measured performance.