Flexible delegation security for improved distribution in ubiquitous environments

Since one of the services that delegation offers is a more optimised distribution paradigm, reconfigurable terminals are envisaged to be able to show how security can negotiate and adapt itself in a flexible way, in favour of performance, without nevertheless compromising fundamental security requirements. So far we observe that protocols that enable cascade delegation and maintain end-to-end accountability among all the involved actors, demonstrate heavy computations or increased network usage and unnecessary redundant complexity. With a novel set of delegation algorithms we show that it is possible to maintain end-to-end accountability and at the same time have compact and lightweight cascade characteristics. This has been further enhanced with an innovative security mechanism that can be automatically optimized in various environments. Due to these attributes, the proposed delegation algorithms will additionally enable reconfigurable terminals to perform complicated tasks either when they enter an untreated PAN or they use a slow communications link. These characteristics make our protocols suitable for ubiquitous environments as well as for diverse personalized services and mobile applications.