NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) 20120006586: A DNA-Inspired Encryption Methodology for Secure, Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

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by  NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

The explanation system is broken up
into three subsystems that address the
Inertial
principal developments needed:
Stereo Images Navigation
System A B 1. An inference mechanism for the map-
Example: ping of observed behaviors into the
Head-on Approach cost-calculus: The observation equiva-
lence of behaviors on a single auto-
nomous agent and between two or
more agents is done through bi-simu-
Relative Separation Hazard Path lation relations. An example of the in-
Bearing Distance Present Delta
ference mechanism at work in a Rules-
of-the-Road behavior is shown in the
figure.
Pass Maintain Avoid Stay on
to Port Lateral Hazard Transit 2. A learning mechanism for the cost-ex-
Separation pression generation for observed be-
haviors outside of the cost-calculus
tactical behavior base: Reinforcem ent
Behavior Arbitration learning of observed behavior pat-
1188
terns is used for the common ground-
ing of behaviors sequences that were
Set Set
not previously observed, or that are
Rudder Throttle
-55 in the command dictionary of the au-
tonomous agent.
Perception
Behavior Input 3. Explanation capabilities for the sys-
tem: A dynamic decision tree decom-
Perception Engine Behavior Network position of the observed behaviors is
used to generate a set of rules for ex-
Parallel Composition Operator
USV (A): Maintain separation || Pass to port ||Avoid Hazards || Stay on transit planation. An adaptive level of detail is
UNK (B): Maintain separation || Pass to port || ε || ε automatically built into this process in
that all of the sensory information that
led to a behavior is available, and can
An example of the Inference Mechanismin a Rules-of-the-Road behavior shows two boats approach-
ing each other head-on. The left side shows the sensory inputs that are needed by the behaviors that be conveyed to the operator if the
are competing with each other to control the actuators. The right side shows the behavior network human/machine interface (HMI)
with four behaviors fed into the Arbitration module to produce the settings for the rudder (heading)
has a detail level of request capability.
and throttle (speed) of the vehicle. Mapping of the behavior network to an equivalent cost-calculus
expression is shown at the bottom. This work was done by Terrance L.
Huntsberger of Caltech for NASA’s Jet
action they choose and why. Robotic this is to map the behavior base of the Propulsion Laboratory. Further information is
agents with enough self-awareness to dy- robot into a formal mathematical frame- contained in a TSP (see page 1).
namically adjust the information con- work called a cost-calculus. A cost-calcu- The software used in this innovation is
veyed back to the Operations Center lus uses composition operators to build available for commercial licensing. Please con-
based on a detail level component analy- up sequences of behaviors that can then tact Daniel Broderick of the California Institute
sis of requests could provide this descrip- be compared to what is observed using of Technology at [email protected]. Refer to
tion capability. One way to accomplish well-known inference mechanisms. NPO-46864.
A DNA-Inspired Encryption Methodology for Secure,
Mobile Ad Hoc Networks
An encryption mechanism uses the principles of DNA replication and steganography.
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
Users are pushing for greater physical ingress/egress of nodes on an unsched- achieves high degrees of diffusion and
mobility with their network and Internet uled basis. Because the networks by their confusion, and resistance to cryptanaly-
access. Mobile ad hoc networks very nature are mobile and self-organiz- sis. A proprietary encryption mechanism
(MANET) can provide an efficient mo- ing, use of a Public Key Infras tructure was developed that uses the principles of
bile network architecture, but security is (PKI), X.509 certificates, RSA, and DNA replication and steganography
a key concern. The figure summarizes nonce exc hanges becomes problematic (hidden word cryptography) for confi-
differences in the state of network secu- if the ideal of MANET is to be achieved. dentiality and authentication. The foun-
rity for MANET and fixed networks. Molecular biology models such as DNA dation of the approach includes organi-
MANETs require the ability to distin- evolution can provide a basis for a pro- zation of coded words and messages
guish trusted peers, and tolerate the prietary security architecture that using base pairs organized into genes,
34 NASA Tech Briefs, January 2012
MANET Fixed Networks
Emerging protocols and approaches for Established public key infrastructure
authentication and access control authentication and access control protocols
MANET versus fixed network security.
an expandable genome consisting of cious behavior. Existing mobile networks tackers are likely to be unable to continu-
DNA-based chromosome keys, and a rely on PKI-provided certificates and pub- ously intercept all traffic. The genome be-
DNA-based message encoding, replica- lic encryption standards such as AES (Ad- comes more fit relative to cryptographic
tion, and evolution and fitness. In evolu- vanced Encryption Standard). These are analyses. Furthermore, DNA provides a
tionary biology, fitness is a characteristic public standards, subject to continuous convenient molecule to establish a new
that relates to the number of offspring scrutiny for methods of attacking the un- type of phys ical layer encryption through
produced from a given genome. From a derlying basis of security. which encryption codes are instantiated
population genetics point of view, the The DNA-inspired approach uses a rap- through biochemical means and read
relative fitness of the mutant depends idly evolving genome to resist crypto- back or modified by biochemical means.
upon the number of descendants per graphic analyses. It produces one-way (en- Such encryption models provide “Security
wild-type descendant. In evolutionary cryption only) and two-way (encryption/ by Obscurity.”
computing, a fitness algorithm deter- decryption) codes. Because of the dy- Areas of interest include proprietary se-
mines whether candidate solutions, in namic, evolutionary nature of this ap- cure virtual private MANETs, military
this case encrypted messages, are suffi- proach, potential intruders must continu- MANETs, mobile-commercial MANETs,
ciently encrypted to be transmitted. ally intercept decoding instructions covert surveillance and tracking of goods,
The technology provides a mechanism between source and destination. Missing and commercial surveillance and tracking
for confidential electronic traffic over a one generation of genome decryption in- of goods.
MANET without a PKI for authenticating formation seriously corrupts the decryp- This work was done by Harry Shaw of God-
users. Users may enter and leave a net- tion process. Missing multiple genera- dard Space Flight Center. Further information
work at will. Users may alternate between tions eventually renders previous is contained in a TSP (see page 1). GSC-
trusted, untrusted, unknown, and mali- decryption analyses useless. Potential at- 15374-1
NASA Tech Briefs, January 2012 35