Design of distributed security architecture for multihop WiMAX networks

In this paper, we study the current security standards in multihop WiMAX networks and their security issues. For secured communications, hop-by-hop authentication is necessary for any multihop wireless networks [5][6]. WiMAX multihop networks provide default hop-by-hop authentication in a distributed security mode only. Apart from this, the multihop standards should consider the existing security issues in mobile WiMAX standard [4]. The new multihop standard IEEE 802.16m has improved functionalities and security support. It provides the solution for medium access control (MAC)-control message issues. At the same time, network coding is used for enhanced-multicast broadcast service (E-MBS) retransmission to improve the performance of MBS. However, the standard IEEE 802.16m/D4 fails to consider the security threats for network coding, multihop support and initial ranging. For the above issues, we propose a distributed security architecture using the Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman (ECDH) key exchange protocol. Our proposed architecture solves the network coding and other multihop security issues with the help of neighbor authentication/security association (SA), distributed security architecture and ECDH protocol.