Syed Farid Syed Adnan

A lightweight and secure TFTP protocol for smart environment

“Internet of Things” (IOT) has become the everyday buzz words in recent years. As part and parcel of the Smart environment where human beings and things interact intelligently, trust and mobility becomes the basic prerequisites. However, to unify trust and mobility, a security protocol must be used for information exchanges among human and things; as well as between things and things (such as between Wi-Fi Client and Wi-Fi AP). In this paper, we present an enhancement of a security protocol for bulk data transfer amongst embedded devices (similar to the practices in IOT). We also proposed a security framework for enhancing security, trust and privacy (STP) for embedded system infrastructure. We suggested the use of lightweight symmetric encryption (for data) and asymmetric encryption (for key exchange) protocols in Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP). The target implementation of TFTP is for embedded devices such as Wi-Fi Access Points (AP) and remote Base Stations (BS). We have chosen Das U-Boot (Universal Boot loader) as the horizontal security platform for this new security implementation which is suitable for Smart Environment.

Identification of essential oil extraction system using Radial Basis Function (RBF) Neural Network

This paper presents an application of the Radial Basis Function Neural Network (RBFNN)-based identification of an essential oil extraction using Non-Linear Autoregressive Model with Exogenous Inputs (NARX) model. The dataset consisted of a Pseudo-Random Binary Sequence (PRBS) inputs as the control signal, and outputs depicting temperatures inside the distillation column. One Step Ahead (OSA) model fitting and residual tests demonstrated that the RBFNN-based NARX model was able to approximate the system well, while satisfying all validation criterias.

A proposed diabetic retinopathy classification algorithm with statistical inference of exudates detection

An automated image processing system has the potential to aid ophthalmologist in diagnosing eye diabetic retinopathy (DR) diseases better, by detecting changes in retina features. This paper introduces the development of detection and classification system that provides DR stage classification based on exudates quantification in digital fundus images. The system can help ophthalmologist to perform early screening on diabetes patients. The exudates detection methods consist of two steps; rough and fine exudates segmentation. Rough segmentation is performed using morphology operation and column-wise neighborhoods operation, while fine segmentation is done using morphological reconstruction. As for DR stage classification, the segmented image is translated into DR numerical index, which later classified into the respective stage based on inference study using statistical analysis. The proposed method used fundus image database from Sungai Buloh Hospital, Malaysia. Together with other suitable retinal features extraction and classification methods, this segmentation method can form the basis of a fast and easy to use diagnostic support tool for diabetic retinopathy, which will give a huge advantage in terms of improved access to mass screening people for risk or presence of diabetes.

Cryptographic Adversary Model: Timing and Power Attacks

In this work, we present an adversary model that incorporates side channel attacks in the Indistinguishability Experiment for Adaptive Chosen Ciphertext Attack (CCA2). We propose security assumptions and an attack model for a secure SSW-ARQ protocol with an integration of TFTP protocol. We also present the security reduction of SSW-ARQ protocol from Cramer-Shoup encryption scheme, timing and power attacks as side channel security for the SSW-ARQ protocol. We suggest using a lightweight symmetric encryption for data encryption and asymmetric encryption for key exchange protocols in the TFTP. The target implementation of secure TFTP is for embedded devices such as Wi-Fi Access Points (AP) and remote Base Stations (BS). In this paper we present the security proofs based on an attack model (IND-CCA2) for securing TFTP protocol. We have also introduce a novel adversary model in IND-CCA2-(TA, PA, TPA) and it is considered a practical model because the model incorporates the timing attack and power attack.

Compression and encryption technique on securing TFTP packet

Data compression technique such as Huffman coding, arithmetic coding, Lempel-Ziv-Welch (LZW) method and others has been playing a vital role in the area of data transmission for reducing time usage during retrieving and transmitting data. However, this technique does not prevent data which contain secret information from being tampered or hacked by malicious attacks even in limited area network environment. Apart from the need of reducing data volume, an implementation of encryption is an important concern in order to transmit data over perfect security. This paper presents feasible approach in minimizing quantity of data and ensuring its security; data is compressed using a lossless algorithm, i.e. Huffman coding and then the compressed data is encrypted using symmetric encryption, AES algorithm. In this work, key exchange concept is also proposed based on Diffie Hellman Key Exchange (DHKE) which is used to exchange secret key for data encryption and decryption. The data is transferred in a local network between two computers through simple file transfer protocol known as Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP). This protocol has been used widely for updating and transferring files especially to embedded devices and it would provide more benefit if security features were incorporated into this protocol. Thus, a lightweight security strategy which includes compression and encryption is an efficient solution to the security issue and to reducing file sizes in this type of environment. Experimental results based on proposed methodology are provided to analyze execution time of transmitting compressed-encrypted data and percentage reduction of file space.

Medical mobile to web services application

Mobile communication systems of today provide increased availability, minituarization and enhanced data rates. This emergence is expected to enhance the deployment of mobile systems in the health services. This paper intends to explain the medical mobile to web service application developed using the Java Micro Edition (J2ME) application platform. It involves the development of a MySQL medical database for Alzheimer Disease patients which is targeted to be accessed from a mobile device through web services via servlets. The mobile application receives the information processed by the servlets and presents the information on the mobile device using Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP). The application developed considers technical constraints of mobile devices such as limited display capabilities and memory. The system was emulated on J2ME device emulator and its functionality is presented in this paper.

Analysis of asymmetric encryption scheme, AA β Performance on Arm Microcontroller

Security protection is a concern for the Internet of Things (IoT) which performs data exchange autonomously over the internet for remote monitoring, automation and other applications. IoT implementations has raised concerns over its security and various research has been conducted to find an effective solution for this. Thus, this work focus on the analysis of an asymmetric encryption scheme, AA-Beta (AAβ) on a platform constrained in terms of processor capability, storage and random access Memory (RAM). For this work, the platform focused is ARM Cortex-M7 microcontroller. The encryption and decryptions performance on the embedded microcontroller is realized and time executed is measured. By enabled the I-Cache (Instruction cache) and D-Cache (Data Cache), the performances are 50% faster compared to disabled the D-Cache and I-Cache. The performance is then compared to our previous work on System on Chip (SoC). This is to analyze the gap of the SoC that has utilized the full GNU Multiple Precision Arithmetic Library (GMP) package versus ARM Cortex-M7 that using the mini-gmp package in term of the footprint and the actual performance.

A Series of Secret Keys in a Key Distribution Protocol

In this chapter, we present a series of secret keys distribution in a key exchange protocol that incorporates protection against side channel attacks using Indistinguishability Experiment (modified) for Adaptive Chosen Ciphertext Attack (CCA2). We also present a security analysis and a new attack model for a secure Chain Key Exchange Protocol with an integration of TFTP protocol in the UBOOT firmware. To enable RasberberryPi “system on chip” (SoC) to perform cryptographic computation, we modified the GNU GMP Bignum library to support a simple primitive cryptographic computation in the UBOOT firmware. We suggest using our key exchange protocol for a secure key distribution in the UBOOT’s TFTP protocol. Latter, the TFTP protocol can use the secure key which has been distributed by our key exchange protocol to encrypt the TFTP’s data using another symmetric encryption scheme such as AES256. Lastly, we introduce a variance of adversary model in IND-CCA2-(TA, PA, TPA) which may be considered as a more realistic and practical model because it incorporates timing attack and power attack.

Simulation of RSA and ElGamal encryption schemes using RF simulator

Sensor nodes commonly rely on wireless transmission media such as radio frequency (RF) and typically run on top of CoAP and TFTP protocols which do not provide any security mechanisms. One method of securing sensor node communication over RF is to implement a lightweight encryption scheme. In this paper, a RF Simulator developed in our previous publication which simulates lightweight security protocols for RF device communication using Rivest Shamir Alderman (RSA) and ElGamal encryption scheme are presented. The RF Simulator can be used for a fast trial and debugging for any new wireless security protocol before the actual or experimental implementation of the protocol in the physical devices. In our previous work, we have shown that the RF Simulator can support a cryptographer or engineer in performing quick product test and development for Diffe-Hellman Key Exchange Protocol (DHKE) and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) protocols. In this work, we present the simulation result of implementing the RSA and ElGamal encryption scheme using SW-ARQ protocol in sensor node RF communication. The simulation was performed on the same testbed as previous works which comprised of HP DC7800 PCs and ARM Raspberry Pi boards.

RF simulator for cryptographic protocol

Advances in embedded RF devices and sensor nodes have witnessed major expansion of end user services such as Internet of Things (IoT) and Cloud Computing. These prospective smart embedded and sensor devices normally interconnect to the internet using wireless technology (e.g. radio frequency, Wi-Fi) and run on top of CoAP and TFTP protocols. In this paper, we present a RF Simulator v1.1 which simulates lightweight security protocols for RF devices communications using Stop and Wait Automatic Repeat Request (SW-ARQ) protocol. The RF Simulator can be used for a quick trial and debugging for any new cryptography protocol in the simulator before actual implementation or experiment of the protocol in the physical embedded devices. We believe that the RF Simulator may provide an alternate way for a computer scientist, cryptographer or engineer to do a rapid product research and development of any cryptographic protocol for smart devices. The major advantage of the RF Simulator is that the source codes in the simulator can be used directly into its physical implementation of the embedded RF devices communication. We also presented simulation results of DHKE and AES encryption schemes using SW-ARQ protocol as a use case of the RF Simulator. The simulation was executed in ARM Raspberry Pi board and HP DC7800 PC as hardware platforms for the simulator setup.