A zero knowledge alternative for bootstrapping trust

Message authentication is a critical task in wireless sensor applications not only because it is a basic building block to ensure the authenticity of information but also a prerequisite for bootstrapping cryptographic secrets. Authentication has been explored extensively in the literature, however, the insecure environment within a fabric where multiple users and applications coexist, and limitations in the hardware pose new challenge for this problem. In this paper, we define a new zero knowledge proof problem in which (1) no memory of neighboring certificates is required; and (2) there is no central verification. We then discuss the properties of any potential solution, and propose a practical scheme that allows zero knowledge proof of the identity of each individual node. A notable merit of this scheme is that even if some nodes are compromised, the rest of the system remains secure. We believe this scheme can satisfy the security requirements in many emerging sensor network applications with proper parameter selection.