DescriptionMobile Ad hoc Networks (MANETs) have been evolving from a closed system, where all mobile nodes are configured and controlled by a central authority (e.g., disaster scene networks and sensor systems), to an open system, where the nodes are anonymous and
heterogeneous (e.g., vehicular ad hoc networks). This transition makes trust establishment a challenging problem for MANETs because in the new open environment it is difficult (1) to guarantee trustworthiness of the MANET applications executed on
remote nodes, i.e., the lack of trusted behavior, (2) to ensure fair and secure communication between multiple network nodes, i.e., the lack of trusted communication, and (3) to authenticate network nodes, i.e., the lack of trusted identity.
In this dissertation, we exploit low-cost trusted hardware and the application-centric nature of MANETs to address the lack of trust problems in MANETs. We present the design, implementation, and evaluation of four systems: (i) a service-aware trusted execution monitor (Satem), which guarantees trusted code execution across application transactions; (ii) a distributed method to create a protected MANET, which shields all network member nodes from being attacked; (iii) a distributed network communication policy enforcement mechanism, which ensures secure and cooperative communication between network participants; and (iv) a locality driven key management architecture, which authenticates network node identities.
The main conclusion of this dissertation is that the emerging low cost trusted hardware combined with the application centric nature of MANETs can be exploited to
provide solutions to the problem of lack of trust in MANETs, which would otherwise be impossible.