Parallel key management scheme for mobile ad hoc network based on traffic mining

One of the main challenges in the mobile ad hoc network is to ensure secure communication, because of its dynamic topology and lack of centralised control. In this study, the authors propose a parallel key management scheme which combines the cluster-based key management and the partially distributed key management approach. The network is partitioned into clusters, where the cluster head (CH) plays the role of certification authority. The initial public key of each member is assigned by CH based on its identity (ID). The keys are updated periodically based on the node´s ID and its trust value. The secret key of the node is generated by n key serving nodes, elected based on the trust value. The communication between the nodes is carried out by using the session key generated mainly based on the frequent traffic pattern exists between the nodes. The frequent traffic pattern is identified by mining the past network traffic data by using the backtracking search algorithm. The proposed scheme provides a mechanism for key generation, distribution and revocation. This scheme satisfies all security requirements and ensures forward and backward secrecies. The performance of the proposed scheme is evaluated by simulation.