Inverting sensor networks and actuating the environment for spatio-temporal access control

Abstract

Wireless sensor networks are typically deployed to measure the information field, rather than create an information field. However, by utilizing the radio on sensor nodes, it is possible to invert the role of sensor networks, and allow sensor nodes to actuate the environment. Such actuation can facilitate new forms of access control that are based on whether a user is located at the right place at the right time. In this paper, we explore the challenges of supporting spatiotemporal access control, where access to an object or service is based on the user's spatio-temporal context. Specifically, we focus on supporting spatio-temporal access control through the specification of access control policies, and show how complex spatio-temporal policies can be specified using automata. We outline a challenge-response mechanism for verifying user location in a centralized spatio-temporal access control mechanism. We utilize sensor networks in an inverted fashion to support spatio-temporal access control. Sensor nodes announce keys according to a time-varying schedule, and users may access restricted files/resources only if they are in the neighborhood of the correct sensor node and witness the appropriate cryptographic key.

Adaptive Location-Oriented Content Delivery in Delay-Sensitive Pervasive Applications

“…In the context of our system, content/data corresponds to multimedia data that are being distributed based on the location of a user. Location-based data are related to a particular location and are the same for all the nodes within the access region for that content [10]. We note that, for simplicity of discussion in the remainder of the paper, we will not consider temporal aspects related to content distribution.…”

Inverting Systems of Embedded Sensors for Position Verification in Location-Aware Applications

“…Further, it is not always possible to deploy more landmarks due to environmental constraints. In addition, for certain applications, such as position verification in Spatial Access Control [2], [3], very high location accuracy results are not needed, so additional landmarks would be wasteful. Thus, it is advantageous to use environmental properties from sensor networks to help determine and verify positions without requiring the infrastructure of additional landmarks.…”

“…More generally speaking, p can represent a point ðx; yÞ or a region. Let ¼ P Â T be the spatiotemporal region [2] that we are interested in, and E be the domain of environmental parameter values, then there exists a mapping f : À! E that takes the physical position p and maps it to an environmental parameter reading E p;t , as presented in Fig.…”

“…Chen et al [2] utilized sensor networks in an inverted fashion to facilitate new forms of access control that are based on whether a user is located at the right place at the right time. Moreover, Vuran et al [7] pointed out that sensor observations are highly correlated in the spatial domain.…”

Power-Modulated Challenge-Response Schemes for Verifying Location Claims

“…As these location services migrate from the laboratory, it will become increasingly important that the location information utilized by these services is trustworthy. Notably, before an entity should be allowed access to location-restricted files, as discussed in [2], it is essential that position information be verifiable.…”