A New Secure Virtual Connector Approach for Communication within Large Distributed Systems

Communicating entities in distributed systems and large scale applications require specific message exchange protocols which can be adjusted for multiple networks. Some secure networking protocols exist and provide different security properties. Such protocols include Transport Layer Security (TLS) and Secure Shell (SSH). We propose here a more specific approach for constructing a new model of distribution using connectors which implement a protocol as a support for securing exchanges over heterogeneous networks used for distributed applications. The Secure Virtual Connector (SVC) protocol provides enhanced security for exchanges between components of distributed applications. This protocol avoids existing shortcomings within existing secure communications protocols which have been designed to fit a wide variety of situations. This flexibility leads to potential vulnerabilities, most of which are avoidable. We consider here a full set of essential security properties for large distributed application such as confidentiality, authenticity, and a certain form of privacy. Other considerations include the use of heterogeneous networks, as well as the mobility of users using secure virtual connectors. The SVC protocol proposed here provides all the required security properties while keeping a low performance overhead which makes it efficient for both fixed and mobile networks. As such SVC is a suitable alternative to existing secure communication protocols.