Dynamic Adaptability Using Reflexivity for Mobile Agent Protection
The paradigm of mobile agent provides a promising technology for the development of distributed and open applications. However, one of the main obstacles to widespread adoption of the mobile agent paradigm seems to be security. This paper treats the security of the mobile agent against malicious host attacks. It describes generic mobile agent protection architecture. The proposed approach is based on the dynamic adaptability and adopts the reflexivity as a model of conception and implantation. In order to protect it against behaviour analysis attempts, the suggested approach supplies the mobile agent with a flexibility faculty allowing it to present an unexpected behaviour. Furthermore, some classical protective mechanisms are used to reinforce the level of security.
[1] N. Amara-Hachmi1 and A. El Fallah-Seghrouchni, "Towards a generic
architecture for self-adaptiv," Proceedings of 5th European Workshop
on Adaptive Agents and MultiAgent Systems (AAMAS-05), Paris, 2005.
[2] P. Bellavista, A. Corradi, C. Frederici, R. Montanari and D. Tibaldi,
"Security for mobile agents: issues and challenges, " in Invited Chapter
in the Book Handbook of Mobile Computing, I. Mahgoub, M. Ilyas
(eds.), CRC Press, Dec. 2004.
[3] E. Bierman and E. Cloete, "Classification of malicious host threats in
mobile agent computing," in proceedings of SACICSIT2002, pp. 141-
148.
[4] N. Borselius, "Mobile agent security," Electronics & Communication
Engineering Journal, vol 14, No 5, IEEE, London, UK, pp. 211-218,
October 2002.
[5] R. Brandt, H. Reiser, "Dynamic adaptation of mobile agents," in
Heterogeneous Environments, " in Springer Lecture Notes in Computer
Science 2240, December 2001.
[6] O. Charra, "Approche réflexive des liaisons entre objets répartis," DEA
report, I.M.A.G., Ecole Doctorale Mathématique et Informatique, 2000.
[7] E. de Lara, Dan S. Wallach, and W. Zwaenepoel, "Puppeteer:
Component based adaptation for mobile computing,," in Proceedings of
the 3rd USENIX Symposium on Internet Technologies and Systems, pp.
159-170, March 2001.
[8] Grimley, M.J. and Monroe, "Protecting the integrity of agents," in ACM
Magazine, B.D, 1999.
[9] S. Hacini, Z. Guessoum, Z Boufaida, "Using a trust-based key to protect
mobile agent code", will be published by CCIS 2006, Italy.
[10] T. Ledoux and Noury M.N.Bouraqadi-Saâdani, "Adaptability in mobile
agent systems using reflection," in ECOOP 2000, Workshop on
Reection and Metalevel Architectures, Cannes, France, 2000.
[11] .S. Leriche, J. Arcangeli., "Vers un modèle d'agent flexible," In :
Journées Multi-Agent et Composant, JMAC'06, N├«mes, mars 2006.
[12] S. Leriche and J. Arcangeli, "Une architecture pour les agents mobiles
adaptables", in Journées Composants JC'04, Lille, pp. 1-9, 2004.
[13] J. Riordan and B. Schneier, "Environment key generation towards
clueless agents," in Lecture Notes in Computer Science 1419, pp. 15-24,
1998.
[14] K. Rothermel and M. Schwehm. "Mobile agents," Encyclopedia for
Computer Science and Technology, Volume 40, Supplement 25, New
York: M.Dekker, Inc., 1998.
[15] D. Spinellis, "Reflection as a mechanism for software integrity
verification," in ACM Transactions on Information and System Security,
3(1), pp. 51-62, 2000.
[16] T. Wang, S. Guan, and T. Khoon Chan, "Integrity protection for codeon-
demand mobile agents in e-commerce," in The Journal of Systems
and Software 60, pp. 211-221, 2000.
[1] N. Amara-Hachmi1 and A. El Fallah-Seghrouchni, "Towards a generic
architecture for self-adaptiv," Proceedings of 5th European Workshop
on Adaptive Agents and MultiAgent Systems (AAMAS-05), Paris, 2005.
[2] P. Bellavista, A. Corradi, C. Frederici, R. Montanari and D. Tibaldi,
"Security for mobile agents: issues and challenges, " in Invited Chapter
in the Book Handbook of Mobile Computing, I. Mahgoub, M. Ilyas
(eds.), CRC Press, Dec. 2004.
[3] E. Bierman and E. Cloete, "Classification of malicious host threats in
mobile agent computing," in proceedings of SACICSIT2002, pp. 141-
148.
[4] N. Borselius, "Mobile agent security," Electronics & Communication
Engineering Journal, vol 14, No 5, IEEE, London, UK, pp. 211-218,
October 2002.
[5] R. Brandt, H. Reiser, "Dynamic adaptation of mobile agents," in
Heterogeneous Environments, " in Springer Lecture Notes in Computer
Science 2240, December 2001.
[6] O. Charra, "Approche réflexive des liaisons entre objets répartis," DEA
report, I.M.A.G., Ecole Doctorale Mathématique et Informatique, 2000.
[7] E. de Lara, Dan S. Wallach, and W. Zwaenepoel, "Puppeteer:
Component based adaptation for mobile computing,," in Proceedings of
the 3rd USENIX Symposium on Internet Technologies and Systems, pp.
159-170, March 2001.
[8] Grimley, M.J. and Monroe, "Protecting the integrity of agents," in ACM
Magazine, B.D, 1999.
[9] S. Hacini, Z. Guessoum, Z Boufaida, "Using a trust-based key to protect
mobile agent code", will be published by CCIS 2006, Italy.
[10] T. Ledoux and Noury M.N.Bouraqadi-Saâdani, "Adaptability in mobile
agent systems using reflection," in ECOOP 2000, Workshop on
Reection and Metalevel Architectures, Cannes, France, 2000.
[11] .S. Leriche, J. Arcangeli., "Vers un modèle d'agent flexible," In :
Journées Multi-Agent et Composant, JMAC'06, N├«mes, mars 2006.
[12] S. Leriche and J. Arcangeli, "Une architecture pour les agents mobiles
adaptables", in Journées Composants JC'04, Lille, pp. 1-9, 2004.
[13] J. Riordan and B. Schneier, "Environment key generation towards
clueless agents," in Lecture Notes in Computer Science 1419, pp. 15-24,
1998.
[14] K. Rothermel and M. Schwehm. "Mobile agents," Encyclopedia for
Computer Science and Technology, Volume 40, Supplement 25, New
York: M.Dekker, Inc., 1998.
[15] D. Spinellis, "Reflection as a mechanism for software integrity
verification," in ACM Transactions on Information and System Security,
3(1), pp. 51-62, 2000.
[16] T. Wang, S. Guan, and T. Khoon Chan, "Integrity protection for codeon-
demand mobile agents in e-commerce," in The Journal of Systems
and Software 60, pp. 211-221, 2000.
@article{"International Journal of Information, Control and Computer Sciences:52209", author = "Salima Hacini and Haoua Cheribi and Zizette Boufaïda", title = "Dynamic Adaptability Using Reflexivity for Mobile Agent Protection", abstract = "The paradigm of mobile agent provides a promising technology for the development of distributed and open applications. However, one of the main obstacles to widespread adoption of the mobile agent paradigm seems to be security. This paper treats the security of the mobile agent against malicious host attacks. It describes generic mobile agent protection architecture. The proposed approach is based on the dynamic adaptability and adopts the reflexivity as a model of conception and implantation. In order to protect it against behaviour analysis attempts, the suggested approach supplies the mobile agent with a flexibility faculty allowing it to present an unexpected behaviour. Furthermore, some classical protective mechanisms are used to reinforce the level of security.
", keywords = "Dynamic adaptability, malicious host, mobile agent
security, reflexivity.", volume = "2", number = "11", pages = "3685-6", }
