SEMS-5G: A Secure and Efficient Multi-Server Authentication Scheme for 5G Networks

The fifth-generation (5G) network is regarded as a key enabler technology for promoting the Internet of Things (IoT) and overcoming the corresponding challenges in the future, such as the support of low communication latency, high data rates, and managing numerous connections to devices in IoT-based ecosystem. To meet such requirements with the realization of 5G network technology as well as the qualification for cloud-based services, the resource deficient mobile end users must gain secure access to remote cloud computing servers. A robust multiserver authentication may ensure the stipulated computational efficiency for authenticated key agreements in 5G networks. Many Multi-Server Authentication (MSA) protocols have been presented so far for various applications. Yet, the compliance to perfect forward secrecy (PFS), untraceability, and privacy-based security features, along with the resilience to de-synchronization and other known attacks, is uncertain. Recently, Wu et al. presented another MSA scheme for a distributed cloud-based 5G environment. Although the scheme fulfills PFS; however, we identified that Wu et al. is prone to impersonation attack, password guessing attack, and man-in-the-middle attack. We have demonstrated an efficient and secure multiserver authentication protocol SEMS-5G ensuring PFS and all other significant security properties that previous schemes could not offer. The results of SEMS-5G are validated using automated ProVerif tool and formally analyzed using BAN logic analysis. The analysis and results prove that our scheme supports all security features at an economical cost.