A Security Architecture for Reconfigurable Networked Embedded Systems

Abstract

Nowadays, networked embedded systems (NESs) are required to be reconfigurable in order to be customizable to different operating environments and/or adaptable to changes in operating environment. However, reconfigurability acts against security as it introduces new sources of vulnerability. In this paper, we propose a security architecture that integrates, enriches and extends a component-based middleware layer with abstractions and mechanisms for secure reconfiguration and secure communication. The architecture provides a secure communication service that enforces application-specific fine-grained security policy. Furthermore, in order to support secure reconfiguration at the middleware level, the architecture provides a basic mechanism for authenticated downloading from a remote source. Finally, the architecture provides a rekeying service that performs key distribution and revocation. The architecture provides the services as a collection of middleware components that an application developer can instantiate according to the application requirements and constraints. The security architecture extends the middleware by exploiting the decoupling and encapsulation capabilities provided by components. It follows that the architecture results itself reconfigurable and can span heterogeneous devices. The security architecture has been implemented for different platforms including low-end, resource-poor ones such as Tmote Sky sensor devices.