language: en

Times of Cryptographic Parameter Generation, and Key Computation and Distribution for the Star-based and Ring-based Conference Authentication Facilities 1

Damien De Paoli and Andrzej Goscinski
(ddp@deakin.edu.au, ang@deakin.edu.au)
School of Computing and Mathematics Deakin University
Geelong, Victoria 3217
September 8, 1994

Abstract Two-way authentication methods are inefficient when used to authenticate multiple users who wish to communicate securely with each other. M-way, also called conference authentication, is designed to efficiently authenticate many users and distribute a secure common conference key. Unfortunately, few if any conference authentication schemes have been developed and/or performance tested in a real distributed system. This report attempts to rectify this problem. Specifically, it presents the performance of both a star and a ring-based conference authentication scheme that has been developed for the RHODOS distributed operating system. As with most systems, RHODOS does not have any special hardware, thus, a software based solution is utilised. This report also attempts to shed some light upon how viable and secure a conference authentication scheme would be when used in a distributed system.

Keywords: Conference Authentication, Distributed Systems.

[1. This work was supported by the Australian Research Council under Grant A48831034, Australian]