Methods and apparatus for authentication

摘要

Message authentication in an ad-hoc network. Upon creation of a message, a message authentication code is created using a key shared with members of a group comprising a subset of nodes of the ad-hoc network. The message authentication code may be created using a cryptographic process having the message and a message identifier as inputs. After or in parallel with broadcast of the message, a pointer to the message is broadcast. The message authentication code is publicly broadcast and those members of the group among which the key has been shared are able to authenticate the message as coming from a particular sender.

主权项

1. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; memory storing computer program code; wherein the memory storing the computer program code is configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: create a message authentication code using a shared key, wherein the shared key is accessible to at least one node belonging to a subgroup with which the apparatus is associated, wherein the subgroup is a subgroup within a larger group of nodes forming an ad-hoc network comprising a plurality of user devices configured to assist one another in transmission; broadcast a message over the ad-hoc network, wherein the message includes the message authentication code; and broadcast, over the ad-hoc network, a pointer to the message, wherein the pointer includes an identifier of the message and an identifier of a sender of the message and wherein identifier of the sender identifies the shared key used to authenticate the message, and wherein the pointer is broadcast separately from the message.