A scalable secure overlay framework for heterogeneous embedded systems

Research in overlay networks has been very successful, since overlay networks enabled a more efficient use of existing resources in a distributed manner. The paradigm shift from centralized control applied through few entities to distributed management performed by all entities not only had advantages. Also new kinds of security threats have been introduced. These new threats are more difficult to come by because of the distributed nature and the absence of central authorities. These threats can only be mitigated through the use of adequate security protocols, designed especially for these environments. Thus, we propose a framework which enables developers to build scalable secure overlay networking applications in a very straightforward manner by simply selecting the required level of security depending on the nodes resources.