Home // International Journal On Advances in Security, volume 2, number 1, 2009 // View article

A Secure P2P Incentive Mechanism for Mobile Devices

Authors:
Jani Suomalainen
Anssi Pehrsson
Jukka K. Nurminen

Keywords: P2P; security analysis; incentive; mobile devices; BitTorrent

Abstract:
Peer-to-peer applications are emerging into mobile devices. However, resource limitations of these devices introduce new challenges for P2P technologies. For instance, there is a need for incentive mechanisms, which address the free riding problem but do not waste devices’ battery or communication resources. A centralized and user identity based incentive mechanism enables mobile users to contribute with any device and receive P2P services with mobile devices. We explore security issues related to a centralized incentive mechanism by analyzing and classifying threats and potential security mechanisms. We propose a privacy preserving security architecture. The architecture is based on authentication, software tamper protection, and misbehavior detection mechanisms. Further, we describe a prototype implementation for mobile BitTorrent file sharing peers. We provide a discussion on potential security compromises, not jeopardizing sufficient security level, and compare our work to related research.

Pages: 42 to 52

Copyright: Copyright (c) to authors, 2009. Used with permission.

Publication date: June 7, 2009

Published in: journal

ISSN: 1942-2636