A Lightweight Identity-Based Cryptographic Scheme for Securing Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks

International Journal of Computer Science and Technology | Vol. 13, No. 7, July 2011 | pp. 43–49
DOI: 10.46882/2011/IJCST/000113

Research Article

Title: A Lightweight Identity-Based Cryptographic Scheme for Securing Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks

Names of Authors: Mateo L. Gomez¹, Fatima A. Al-Saeed²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Department of Telecommunications Engineering, Polytech Madrid, Madrid, Spain; ²Department of Cyber Security, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAE

Abstract: Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) play an essential role in Intelligent Transportation Systems by enabling vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) safety message transmissions. However, the high speed of moving nodes demands rapid data authentication protocols to secure communications without causing packet processing bottlenecks that degrade driver safety. This paper introduces a Lightweight Identity-Based Cryptographic Scheme (LIBCS) utilizing bilinear pairings over elliptic curves to establish trust boundaries without overhead from digital certificate management. LIBCS combines pseudo-anonymous key generation with an aggregate signature validation mechanism, allowing roadside units to batch-process multiple safety signals simultaneously. Experimental tests conducted over simulated highway scenarios demonstrated that the proposed scheme processes an individual signature verification in 1.45 ms, outperforming conventional public key infrastructures by 62.4%. Under dense congestion states (120 vehicles/km), the message drop rate stayed below 1.2%, while total communication overhead decreased by 38.5%. Security verification mathematically proves that LIBCS remains highly resilient against replay attacks, masquerading, and sybil vulnerabilities, thereby satisfying the rigorous reliability requirements of safety-critical automotive network environments.

Keywords: Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks, Bilinear Pairings, Elliptic Curve Cryptography, Message Authentication, Data Privacy

Manuscript Timeline: Received April 12, 2011; Revised May 28, 2011; Accepted June 15, 2011; Published July 28, 2011.

Citation: Gomez, M. L., & Al-Saeed, F. A. (2011). A Lightweight Identity-Based Cryptographic Scheme for Securing Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks. International Journal of Computer Science and Technology, 13(7), 43–49.

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