The Cluster-based Key Management Mechanism with Secure Data Transmissions Scheme in Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract

Since Wireless Sensor Nodes (WSNs) have limited resources, achieving secure data transmissions among nodes is a challenge. Hence, efficient key management schemes with lightweight ciphers are essential. Many asymmetric key or public key mechanisms have been developed. However, they are unsuitable for secure group communications in WSNs, because sensor nodes cannot provide sufficient CPU, memory and bandwidth to address complex operations. Besides, only a few group key agreements are integrated into secure data transmissions. Therefore, this study presents a Cluster-based Elliptic Curve Key Management (CECKM) scheme for secure data transmissions in WSNs. The proposed security scheme relies on elliptic curves instead of logarithmic curves, and exploits a smaller key size to achieve comparable security levels than Rivest Shamir Adleman (RSA) and Diffie-Hellman (DH) cryptosystems [1]. Meanwhile, the proposed scheme provides a dynamic, rapid and efficient group key synchronization mechanism in numerous sensor nodes without reconfiguring the entire key system when sensor nodes participate in or depart from WSNs.