Project Demonstration

Mobile Adaptive Computing

Craig Dowie

28th June 1998

Project Goals

• Investigation into improving the security and reliability of data transmissions between hosts by the use of multiple, multiple, physically disjointphysically disjoint communications links

• E.g. naturally disjoint wireless links ( RF modems, Infra-Red, etc) , distinct network links on WAN (e.g. Internet)

This demo...

• … demonstrates some concepts behind project work

• … demonstrates secure transmission of data between hosts using two physically disjoint paths

• …illustrates how a single path can be compromised without affecting data security

• … uses a trivial (XOR) encryption scheme

System Components

• Hosts: 3 Pentium MMX Laptops with additional serial comms interfaces (PC card)

• Operating System Environment: Windows NT 4.0

• Connections: Null modems, Ricochet SX RF wireless modems, FreeWave DGR-115/H RF wireless modems (not used in demo)

Physical Configuration

• 3 physical connections:-

• Arapahoe to Cree : Wireless Ricochet

• Sioux to Cree : Wireless Ricochet

• Arapahoe to Sioux : Null Modem (RS-232)

• Additional possible paths: Telephone connections, ethernet LAN connections, Freewave wireless connections

Physical Configuration

RicohetArapahoe

Null

RicochetSiouxNull

RicochetCree

Ricochet

(TCP/IP) Network Configuration

• The connections are designed to model two disjoint data paths between hosts Arapahoe and Sioux (the left and right laptops)

• Cree (in the middle) models an eavesdropper - ‘snooping’ on one of the paths (or TTP)

• In practice, stores from Arapahoe and forwards it to Sioux

(TCP/IP) Network Configuration

1.1.1.13Arapahoe

1.1.1.3

1.1.1.12Sioux1.1.1.2

Cree1.1.1.11

Demo Information Flow

• Arapahoe: reads data to be sent from a file; generates a key and encrypts the data

• Transmits the data along null modem connection (directly to Sioux)

• Transmits the key along the wireless (Ricochet) path to Sioux (via Cree)

• Cree ‘intercepts’ and displays the key

Security Configuration

Arapahoe(Alice)

Sioux(Bob)

Cree(Eve)

Demo Information flow

KEYArapahoe

DATA

KEYSiouxDATA

CreeKEY

Continuing Work

• Multiple path socket class based on TCP/IP sockets

• Multiple path and node management software (COMPASS)

• Further investigation of wireless and communications hardware (e.g. wireless ethernet technology)

Thank You!

• Please feel free to ask any unanswered questions!