Local area network
A method and system for distributed security for a plurality of devices in a communication network, each of the devices being responsible for generating, distributing and controlling its own keys for access to the communication network and using the keys to establish a trusted network, each device's membership to the communication network being checked periodically by other devices by using a challenge response protocol to establish which devices are allowed access to the communication network and the trusted network.
1. A method, by a security manager in a first ad-hoc network, of facilitating communication between a first device located in the first ad-hoc network and a second device located in a second ad-hoc network, the method comprising:
authenticating with the first device;
sending the first device a first group key;
receiving, via first and second relay agents, a request for authentication from the second device, wherein the first ad-hoc network includes a first plurality of devices, the second ad-hoc network includes a second plurality of devices, and the first relay agent is in the first ad-hoc network and the second relay agent is in the second ad-hoc network; and
sending the second device the first group key.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first relay agent includes a router.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first plurality of devices in the first ad-hoc network communicate with each other based on the first group key, and a second plurality of devices in the second ad-hoc network communicate with each other based on a second group key.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first relay agent acts only as a data relay agent in the first ad-hoc network, and the second relay agent acts only as a data relay agent in the second ad-hoc network.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first relay agent periodically queries the second relay agent and receives periodic queries from the second relay agent to enable information pertaining to their respective ad-hoc networks to be updated, and wherein the periodic queries are sent at predetermined intervals.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first relay agent and the second relay agent include transceivers that establish a relay channel.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein upon receipt of traffic destined to the second device, the second relay agent transmits the traffic to the second device.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first ad-hoc network includes a first controller that allocates time slots for communication in the first ad-hoc network, and the second ad-hoc network includes a second controller that allocates time slots for communication in the second ad-hoc network.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request for authentication includes a key created by the second device.
10. A security manager in a first ad-hoc network configured to perform operations to facilitate communication between a first device located in the first ad-hoc network and a second device located in a second ad-hoc network, the operations comprising:
authenticating with the first device;
sending the first device a first group key;
receiving, via first and second relay agents, a request for authentication from the second device, wherein the first ad-hoc network includes a first plurality of devices, the second ad-hoc network includes a second plurality of devices, and the first relay agent is in the first ad-hoc network and the second relay agent is in the second ad-hoc network; and
sending the second device the first group key.
11. The security manager of claim 10 , wherein the first relay agent periodically queries the second relay agent and receives periodic queries from the second relay agent to enable information pertaining to their respective ad-hoc networks to be updated, and wherein the periodic queries are sent at predetermined intervals.