A novel location-based encryption model using fuzzy vault scheme

Abstract

The secure storage of the sensitive data in mobile devices is an urgent issue. Most of the existed encryption algorithms are location independent, which means the encrypted data can be decrypted anywhere. In this work, we propose a novel location-based encryption model using a fuzzy vault scheme. First, we may choose a proper encryption algorithm, a symmetric algorithm or an asymmetric encryption algorithm, to encrypt the sensitive data in mobile devices. Then, the crucial issue comes to securely storing the secret key in the encryption algorithm, and it will be solved in the secret key protection phase by applying a fuzzy vault scheme using a location-based digital fingerprint, which represents the valid user in the valid location region. We bind the digital fingerprint and the secret key together to construct a fuzzy vault for storing the both securely. We simulate our model on an Android device and make some performance and security analysis on it. The main contribution of our model is applying a fuzzy vault scheme which uses the location information captured by the user’s mobile devices to securely protect the secret key used in the cryptosystem for encrypting the users sensitive data on the user’s mobile devices.