A source authentication scheme using network coding

In this paper, we explore the security merits of network coding and potential trade-offs with the widely accepted throughput benefits, especially in multicast scenarios. In particular, we propose a novel Source Authentication using Network Coding (SANC) scheme. Towards this objective, we propose a general framework for embedding the authentication information within the network coding Global Encoding Vector. First, we illustrate the proposed concept using a simple mapping function. Second, we present a detailed security analysis that reveals the security merits of the proposed scheme, contrasted against two baseline schemes. Finally, we present simulation results pertaining to the network coding performance. © 2011 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.