TESLA
PROTOCOL
FOR SECURE BROADCASTING
TEAM
1 Deepak Jawar (S20220010058)
2 Hruthik (S20220010050)
3 P Jaswanth (S20220010168)
4 K Venkata Sai (S20220010100)
INTRODUCTION
Significance of Broadcast Communication
Utilized in satellite networks, live streaming, emergency alerts, radio,
and IP multicast.
Security Challenges
Unlike point-to-point communication, broadcast receivers lack the
ability to inherently verify the sender's identity.
Consequences of Inadequate Broadcast Security
If not managed correctly, attackers may inject false messages,
modify essential data, or disrupt communications.
PROBLEMS IN BROADCAST
AUTHENTICATION
Eavesdropping : Attackers can intercept messages.
Message Tampering : An attacker can modify packets in transit.
Replay Attacks : Re-sending old messages to disrupt communication.
Impersonation : Spoofing a legitimate sender.
Public-Key Cryptography Overhead : High computational cost in large-
scale systems.
WHY NOT STANDARD
AUTHENTICATION
Message Authentication Codes (MACs):
Works well in one-to-one communication (Sender and receiver share
a secret key).
Problem: Any receiver with the key can forge messages.
Digital Signatures (Public key cryptography):
Provides high security but is computationally expensive.
Problem: High bandwidth and processing costs make it unsuitable for
large-scale broadcasts.
TESLA PROTOCOL -
OVERVIEW
TESLA (Timed Efficient Stream Loss-tolerant Authentication):
Lightweight symmetric authentication protocol.
Uses symmetric cryptography but achieves asymmetric
authentication properties.
Relies on time synchronization instead of public key cryptography.
Key Benefits:
Low overhead - fast computation and minimal bandwidth.
Scalable - supports millions of receivers.
Loss tolerant
Time-based security - prevents forgery.
ONE-WAY KEY CHAIN
What exactly is a one-way key chain?
It is made up of a sequence of cryptographic keys produced through a
one-way function F.
Each key Ki is generated from the following key K(i+1) using the
equation: Ki = F(K(i+1)).
This design guarantees that knowledge of a key does not disclose any
future keys, thereby preserving security and assisting in the validation
of preceding keys.
CONT...
CONT...
Key Generation and release:
Key Computation: The sender pre-computes a chain of keys in
reverse order.
Key Disclosure: Each key is revealed after its messages have been
sent to prevent immediate forgery.
Message Authentication:
Each message is sent with a Message Authentication Code (MAC)
using a key from the chain.
Receivers buffer messages until the corresponding key is
disclosed.
TIME SYNCHRONIZATION IN
TESLA
Why Time Synchronization?
Ensures that authentication keys remain undisclosed until the right
time.
Prevents attackers from forging messages before key disclosure.
How Time Synchronization Works:
Receiver sends a time sync request
to the sender.
Sender responds with a signed
timestamp.
Receiver calculates the sender’s
upper time bound (to track key
disclosure timing).
CONT...
Security Measures:
Nonce mechanism prevents replay attacks.
Loose synchronization (only an estimate of sender’s time is needed).
Periodic re-synchronization avoids clock drift issues.
WORKING OF TESLA
PROTOCOL
Step 1: Packet Transmission
The sender sends a message accompanied by a Message Authentication
Code (MAC).
The MAC is generated using a secret key, Ki, which remains undisclosed
for now.
Each packet sent includes:
Message Pj
MAC (Message Authentication Code) → MAC(Pj, Ki)
Key Disclosure Schedule → Specifies when Ki will be revealed.
CONT...
Step 2: Delayed Key Disclosure
Following a set time delay (d), the sender discloses the key Ki.
Upon receiving the message, the receiver is unable to authenticate it right
away and must keep the message stored until the key is made available.
Security assurance: Because Ki was not known at the time the message
was sent, attackers are unable to fabricate the MAC.
CONT...
Step 3: Authentication and Verification
Upon receiving Ki, the recipient carries out the following checks:
Key validity: Verifies whether Ki has been correctly generated using the
formula Ki=F(Ki+1).
MAC validity: Computes MAC(Pj, Ki) and compares it with the received MAC.
Timestamp validity: Ensures that the message was received within the
specified time limit.
CONT...
ADVANTAGES
Efficient & Scalable – Ideal for large-scale broadcast authentication.
Minimal Computational Expense – Utilizes efficient symmetric
cryptography while providing an asymmetric experience.
Resistant to Packet Loss – Authentication remains possible even with
missing packets.
Prevents Immediate Forgery – Delayed key disclosure stops real-time
attacks.
COMPARISION WITH
TRADITIONAL METHODS
Public-Key
Feature TESLA Simple MAC
Cryptography
Computation Low High Low
Overhead Low High Low
Security High High Low
Authentication
Yes No No
Delay
REFERENCE
A. Perrig, R. Canetti, J. D. Tygar, and D. Song, "The TESLA Broadcast
Authentication Protocol," CryptoBytes, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 2–13, Summer/Fall
2002.
THANK
YOU
