Optimizing ZigBee Security using Stochastic Model Checking
This work addresses security concerns in ZigBee wireless sensor networks, providing a specific enhancement for network designers, though it is incremental as it builds on existing specifications and methods.
The authors identified a key update gap in the ZigBee-2007 specification and developed a methodology using stochastic model checking with PRISM to determine optimal key update policies and security parameters for realistic application scenarios.
ZigBee is a fairly new but promising wireless sensor network standard that offers the advantages of simple and low resource communication. Nevertheless, security is of great concern to ZigBee, and enhancements are prescribed in the latest ZigBee specication: ZigBee-2007. In this technical report, we identify an important gap in the specification on key updates, and present a methodology for determining optimal key update policies and security parameters. We exploit the stochastic model checking approach using the probabilistic model checker PRISM, and assess the security needs for realistic application scenarios.