Implementation of a Provably Secure, Smartcard-based Key Distribution Protocol

Abstract

We describe the implementation of the Shoup-Rubin key distribution protocol. This protocol stores long-term keys on a smartcard and uses the cryptographic capability of the card to generate and distribute session keys securely. The designers of the protocol provide a mathematical proof of its security, using techniques pioneered by Bellare and Rogaway. Combining this theoretical strength with our implementation on tamper resistant hardware results in practical and powerful middleware functionality, useful in applications that demand strong authentication and confidentiality.