Lightweight cryptography is a field that has been growing fast recently due to the demand for secure Internet of Things (IoT) applications. These algorithms provide se curity for computational power, memory, and energy-constrained devices. In this work, we propose a new protocol based on lightweight cryptography algorithms that enables the generation and distribution of keys for symmetric systems to be used in private communi cations on a wireless sensor network (WSN). The proposed protocol is designed to work in multi-hop communication networks, where nodes out of range of the Base Station can be part of the network, offering the same security mechanisms that a node in the commu nication range of the Base Station has. Experimental results and a detailed comparison with other architectures show how fast and energy-efficient the protocol is, while ensuring a high level of authenticity, confidentiality and integrity.

Tese de Mestrado, Engenharia Informática, 2022, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências