Security Requirements and Protocols for a Broadcast Scenario
S. Kent · IRE Transactions on Communications Systems · 1981
Previous work (e.g., [1], [2]) has characterized communication security requirements in connection-oriented (virtual circuit) environments supporting applications such as interactive communication and file transfer. This work has developed protocols to achieve these requirements using conventional ciphers (CC's) such as the NBS data encryption standard (DES) [3]. More recently, several authors [4]-[6] have analyzed key distribution protocols for such environments based on CC's and on public-key ciphers (PKC's) such as the RSA algorithm [7], noting similarities in form, function, and vulnerability. Advances in satellite and packet radio technology [8], [9] and the development of high-speed, local area networks [10] have stimulated interest in broadcast protocols for various applications. This article examines security requirements for a simple broadcast scenario characteristic of some of these applications and develops protocols for achieving these requirements. Two sets of protocols, one based on CC's and the other based on PKC's, are developed and analyzed in terms of functionality and performance.