Low-Energy Symmetric Key Distribution in Wireless Sensor Networks

In this work, a scheme for key distribution and network access in a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) that utilizes Identity-Based Cryptography (IBC) is presented. The scheme is analyzed on the ARM920T processor and measurements were taken for the runtime and energy of its components. It was found that the Tate pairing component of the scheme consumes significant amounts of energy, and so should be ported to hardware. An accelerator was implemented in 65 nm Complementary Metal Oxide Silicon (CMOS) technology and area, timing, and energy figures have been obtained for the design. Results indicate that a hardware implementation of IBC would meet the strict energy constraint required of a wireless sensor network node.