A credential and encryption based access control solution for named data networking

Named Data Networking (NDN) represents a promising candidate for the future Internet architecture adopting the Information Centric Networking (ICN) approach. For a more effective content delivery, it leverages in-network caching. However, security can no longer be tied a particular location. It becomes a property of the content and its name, regardless where it is situated. To ensure access control that represents an important security feature, NDN proposes the use of an encryption-based model; sensitive data can be encrypted then decrypted only by legitimate entities. Many solutions adopting this model have been proposed but they require prior knowledge of all authorized entities. In this paper, we propose an encryption-based access control solution that does not have such requirements and which is valid in an open environment. This solution assigns access rights based on certified encrypted credentials provided by the different entities. To confirm the security of this proposal, a formal security analysis is provided.