Automated Key Management for Router Updates

Security is assuming increasing importance in emerging networks. To ensure application security, the routing protocols are assumed to be trusted. Correct forwarding of packets requires the prior exchange of information among routers, using the appropriate routing protocol. Valid construction of the routes requires that the exchanged information be received from a legitimate neighbor, and that it not be altered en route, i.e., the inter-router communication has to be secure. This requires, in turn, an architecture for managing the necessary security associations and keying material within an administrative region. After reviewing current work and existing security tools, a proposal is made for a novel architecture to manage the router updates. The operations within this architecture are detailed, and its advantages are explained.