Security and protocols for Personal Networks

This research work focuses on the system architectural aspects of PN and its interfaces to and interaction with infrastructure networks, such as Bluetooth, WPAN (IEEE 802.15), GSM, GPRS, 3G and WLAN (IEEE 802.11a/b), and PANs in general. The PN network will be heterogeneous in nature and the underlying communication protocols need to support this heterogeneity in an efficient way. It will be mobile, have an ad hoc character, may need to incorporate a potentially large number of device, and will have to provide an appropriate level of security, depending on the application and the owners wishes. These PN properties raise important research questions not only about the fundamental architecture, but also about control, management, and maintenance of such architecture. This project focuses on developing solutions for authentication and authorization in PNs, as well as an in-depth study of possible PN security architectures. The architectural aspects of personal networks and their interfaces with a wide range of legacy and next-generation wireless and mobile networks will be explored. Due to these typical heterogeneous interfaces the PN will have to operate under various protocol and physical conditions. This work will address the architectural boundary conditions taking into account frequency bandwidth, Access Technique, bit rate and privacy and security aspects. (Neeli Prasad, Ramjee Prasad)