Many authentication protocols in ad hoc networks are identity based, which means that in order for one node to trust another, it needs to know the other node’s identity. Hence there exists an inherent trade-off between trust and anonymity. We propose an anonymous authentication scheme, where each node, instead of using its real identity, generates a dynamic pseudonym using a one-way hash function. With the help of a CA offline, the scheme can realize the authentication procedure based on discrete logarithms problem. We analyze the security and the anonymity in the scheme, which shows that it is very valid.
A Novel Anonymous Authentication Scheme in Ad Hoc Networks