Αρχιτεκτονική, διαχείριση και ασφάλεια προγραμματιζόμενων δικτυακών υποδομών

Γλυνός, Δημήτριος Α.

Doctoral Thesis

Author

Γλυνός, Δημήτριος Α.

Date

2013-03-12

Abstract

Programmable network infrastructures enable network services to dynamically adapt to their users' needs. This thesis discusses the technologies behind programmable network in-frastructures and proposes solutions to specific problems that affect their operation. Initially, the architectures of two types of programmable networks are discussed: networks with programmable nodes in their core, and networks with programmable edge nodes. Using two novel services as examples (dynamic routing & filtering of e-mail messages, and distributed detection of polymorphic shell code in network traffic) the distinct benefits that these archi-tectures bring to users and administrators are shown. The first part of the thesis ends with the proposal of two algorithms for extending the lifetime of programmable networks, when each node is equipped with only a limited amount of energy resources. The second part of the thesis discusses security issues that arise in programmable network architectures. It starts with an overview of the security measures that have been proposed in the literature to protect programmable nodes and their operation. It then proposes a new type of trust network that allows programmable nodes to quickly locate trustworthy service providers. To protect programmable networks from nodes that operate under fake identities, a multi-factor authentication scheme is proposed that utilizes, among other things, node characteristics that can be verified if the nodes are communicating via a wireless network. Finally, the conclusions of the thesis are presented along with ideas for future areas of research.