Authenticated data compression in delay tolerant wireless sensor networks

Delay Tolerant Wireless Sensor Networks (DTWSNs) are sensor networks where continuous connectivity between the sensor nodes and their final destinations (e.g., the base station) cannot be guaranteed. Storage constraints are particularly a concern in DTWSNs, since each node may have to store sensed data for a long period of time due to intermittent communication while continuously collecting data. In this paper, we develop novel techniques to seamlessly authenticate and compress sensed data, addressing the storage concerns in DTWSNs in hostile environments by harnessing both temporal and spatial correlation among sensed data. By appropriately using Message Authentication Code (MAC) and one-way hash functions, our techniques allow a node (including intermediate, non-source nodes) to efficiently compress sensed data without regenerating MACs. We explore the trade-off between data distortion and storage reduction provided by compression so that we can reach the maximum data reduction while maintaining desired data quality.