A certification authority for elliptic curve X.509v3. Certificates

Abstract

Wireless networks are more and more common in current communications networks. Nevertheless, wireless communications entail a big concern: security. The use of X.509v3 certificates to carry out authentication tasks is an approach to improve security. These certificates are usually employed with the RSA algorithm. Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) is a cryptographic technique eminently suited for small devices, like those used in wireless communications, and is gaining momentum. The main advantage of ECC versus RSA is that for the same level of security it requires a much sorter key length. The purpose of this work is to design and implement a free open-source Certification Authority able to issue X.509v3 certificates using ECC. This research is an implementation study on free open-source tools to issue digital certificates using ECC. Moreover, it contributes to the development of free open-source tools for network security based on ECC. The result of this research may assist organizations to increase their security level in wireless devices and networks, in a costless way, by including authentication techniques based on ECC digital certificates.