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Punishing malicious hosts with the cryptographic traces approach

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Abstract

The use of mobile agents seems the natural way to improve the network conditions to provide an easy access to future services. Unfortunately, there are some security constraints that avoid a massive use of mobile agents systems. The protection of mobile agents against the attacks of malicious hosts is considered by far the most difficult security problem to solve in mobile agent systems.

This paper introduces some techniques that aim to solve the problem of the malicious hosts. This paper improves some aspects of the most widely known attack detection technique, the cryptographic traces approach. This approach presents some major drawbacks that can be solved by means of a Suspicious Detection Protocol. Additionally, this paper introduces some other protocols that can be used to punish the malicious host by using a Third Trusted Party, the Host Revocation Authority.

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Oscar Esparza, Ph.D.: He was born in Viladecans (Spain) in 1975. In 1999, he received his M.S. Degree in Telecommunication Engineering in the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC). In the same year he joined the AUNA Switching Engineering Department. Since 2001 he works as Assistant Professor in the Department of Telematics Engineering of the UPC. In 2004, he received the Ph.D. Degree in Mobile Agent Security.

Jose L. Muñoz, Ph.D.: He was born in Terrassa (Spain) in 1975. In 1999, he received the M.S. Degree in Telecommunication Engineering in the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC). In the same year he joined the AUNA Switching Engineering Department. Since 2000 he works as Assistant Professor in the Department of Telematics Engineering of the UPC. In 2003, he received the Ph.D. Degree in Network Security.

Miguel Soriano, Ph.D.: He was born in Barcelona in 1967. He received his M.S. degree in Telecommunications Engineering in the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) in 1992, and the Ph.D. Degree in 1996. In 1991, he joined the Cryptography and Network Security Group at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Telematics. Currently working as an Associate Professor in the Department of Telematics Engineering of the UPC.

Jordi Forné, Ph.D.: He was born in Barcelona in 1967. He received his M.S. degree in Telecommunications Engineering in the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) in 1992, and the Ph.D. Degree in 1997. In 1991, he joined the Cryptography and Network Security Group at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Telematics. Currently working as an Associate Professor in the Department of Telematics Engineering of the UPC.

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Esparza, O., Muñoz, J.L., Soriano, M. et al. Punishing malicious hosts with the cryptographic traces approach. New Gener Comput 24, 351–376 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03037399

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03037399

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