A scheme for providing security services in ISO-OSI computer network architecture

Abstract

In a draft addendum of the Open Systems Interconnection Computer Network Reference Model Architecture, the Transport Layer provides a set of security services for user authentication and data confidentiality. This requires the generation and distribution of a new session key between source and destination host systems. But for geographically distributed end-user host systems, communication with a centralized Key Distribution Center for session key generation and distribution takes a considerable amount of time. Therefore, to reduce this time, a scheme is proposed in this paper to minimize the communication tasks involved between the KDC and end-user systems. In this scheme, the development of an independent Security Service Module at end-user host systems is proposed for providing the session key generation and distribution and other security-related services. Also, a three-sublayer structure of the Security Service Module is presented to perform user authentication and data confidentiality services within the OSI Transport Layer.