This project models and experiments with the attacks and vulnerabilities in a QoS-enabled network, and designs usable, easily deployable, flexible and adaptive safeguards against such threats. This will aid in supporting secure communication for QoS-sensitive applications, such as conferencing and distance education applications, e-commerce, as well as enable the development of new applications that benefit from secure quality of service.
The proposed approach towards the problem space is to model the
new attacks introduced by QoS support, and relate them to the functions
performed at QoS network entities and the vulnerable operations with these
functions. Safeguarding against such attacks must involve trustable entities
and authentication, secure policy control, and QoS measurements to detect
attacks and re-configure the network for added security. Usability and
complexity versus security tradeoffs and rapid reaction to changing network
conditions are the main concerns. The differentiated services architecture
and research will be leveraged. An important component of this project
will involve simulation and experimental studies, and working with standards
bodies and organizations.
