Abstract:

Objective- The aim of this paper is to realize a secure and anonymous communication technique which provides end-to-end encryption and anonymity simultaneously.

Design/Methodology/Approach- End-to-end encryption and anonymity are considered as important features in privacy preserving communications. A simple combination of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and current anonymous communication protocols cannot be used to realize secure and anonymous communication. The anonymity is contradicted by the current PKI because the user is identified by the user’s public key certificate. Moreover, there should be certain authentication mechanisms in communication channels because such channels could incubate criminal communication. To deal with this issue, a secure and anonymous communication protocol which employs Identity-Based Encryption (IBE) and group signature is proposed in this paper.

Findings- IBE is used for encrypting packets without sacrificing anonymity and Group Signature scheme is used for anonymous user authentication.

Limitations- In Group Signature scheme, the Group Manager must be a trusted entity as he is capable of breaking the anonymity.

Practical Implications- Proxy entities are used for communication in the protocol which will conceal the user IP address from the Service Providers (SPs), thereby providing anonymity. The system ensures user privacy and provides better security.

Originality- This paper contains works related to anonymous communication as literature survey. 

 Keywords- Anonymous Authentication, Anonymous Communication, Identity-Based Encryption, Group Signature, Secure Channel