In the rapidly evolving landscape of the Internet of Everything, traditional identity authentication methods are struggling to keep up. As digital businesses like the industrial Internet, energy Internet, and vehicular Internet expand, the need for secure, efficient, and scalable identity authentication has never been more critical. Enter a groundbreaking research framework published in the journal ‘Engineering Sciences’, which delves into the key technologies for distributed certificate-less network identity systems. This research, led by ZHANG Xiaosong, promises to revolutionize how we approach identity authentication, particularly in sectors like energy, where security and efficiency are paramount.
At the heart of this research is the recognition that traditional centralized identity authentication methods are increasingly vulnerable to performance and security threats. “The scale and complexity of digital businesses are growing exponentially,” explains ZHANG Xiaosong, the lead author of the study. “We need technologies and platforms that can handle this scale securely and efficiently.”
The research focuses on three fundamental challenges: secure and efficient key system management, hardware-accelerated authentication for massive access, and parallel optimization of smart contract execution. These challenges are addressed through a comprehensive technical route that includes authentication architecture design, efficient key management, access process acceleration, and smart contract execution optimization.
One of the most significant innovations is the development of a distributed certificate-less authentication framework. This framework eliminates the need for traditional certificates, reducing the complexity and potential vulnerabilities associated with certificate management. “By moving away from certificates, we can achieve a more secure and efficient authentication process,” ZHANG notes.
The research also introduces a resilient and attack-resistant distributed key management system. This system ensures that keys are generated, distributed, and revoked securely, even in the face of potential attacks. This is crucial for sectors like energy, where the integrity of the network is paramount.
Hardware enhancement plays a significant role in this research. The study developed optimized acceleration schemes for IoT nodes and secure integration of heterogeneous terminals, achieving authentication hash computing speeds of up to 200 Gbit/s and IoT authentication traffic handling of up to 100 Gbit/s. This level of performance is essential for large-scale IoT networks, such as those found in the energy sector.
In addition, the research explores multi-level parallel smart contract virtual machines. This co-processing architecture overcomes challenges in vector instruction set design and memory management, leading to the implementation of a smart contract co-processor on domestic chips. This innovation supports dynamic collaborative computing for massive terminals, a critical requirement for the energy Internet.
The commercial impacts of this research are vast. For the energy sector, secure and efficient identity authentication is crucial for the smooth operation of smart grids and other IoT-based systems. The research provides a robust foundation for the development of large-scale IoT identity authentication platforms, integrating national cryptographic standards and IoT identity authentication mechanisms. This ensures trusted device identities, secure access, and robust security management.
The research also paves the way for the promotion and application of platform products and distributed identity authentication services. This could directly and indirectly support annual transaction volumes of tens of billions in various internet businesses, a significant boon for the energy sector and beyond.
As we look to the future, this research sets the stage for a new era in identity authentication. By addressing the challenges of secure and efficient key management, hardware-accelerated authentication, and parallel smart contract execution, it provides a comprehensive solution for the digital age. The innovations introduced in this study, published in the journal ‘Engineering Sciences’ (Engineering Sciences and Technology), are poised to shape the future of cyberspace security and governance, supporting the high-quality and secure development of the national digital economy.
