Public-key authentication for cloud-based WBANs

Merging WBAN systems with cloud computing is an efficient solution to overcome limitations inherent in WBAN, especially in critical human-related applications such as remote health monitoring. In cloud-based WBAN, the nodes are classified into WBAN sensors that report measurements about the human body and WBAN actuators that receive commands from the medical staff and perform actions. Authenticating these commands is a critical security issue as any alteration may lead to serious consequences. This paper presents a light-weight public-key authentication protocol for cloud-based WBAN systems. The proposed protocol is based on the modified Rabin authentication algorithm which is customized in this paper by making some of its components run in parallel. To prove the efficiency of the modified Rabin we implemented the algorithm with different hardware settings using Tmote Sky motes. The Rabin algorithm with and without the parallel settings is also programmed on FPGA to evaluate its design and performance. The results show that secure, direct, instant, and authenticated commands can be delivered from the medical staff located at the cloud side to the WBAN nodes located in/on the human body. Compared to other public-key protocols implemented on the motes, Rabin algorithm achieved extremely faster verification and reasonable signature generation speed. Moreover, the suggested parallel settings of the Rabin signature generation significantly reduced the delays (by almost 80%) which is a critical issue in WBAN applications.