Subject: Re: [6tisch-security] [6lo] Comments needed for Security Bootstrapping of IEEE 802.15.4 based Internet of Things

From: Michael Richardson <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2015 19:34:23 -0500

I have added a number of CCs, I think that this fits into ANIMA best.

Hedanping (Ana) <[email-masked]> wrote:
    > A new draft is submitted, it's about the security bootstrapping
    > architecture and methods for IoT networks that implement IETF protocols
    > (e.g. 6LoWPAN, 6lo, RPL, AODV, DSR) over IEEE 802.15.4.

    > Two types of bootstrapping methods are developed: network level
    > bootstrapping and joining device level bootstrapping

    > The link is:
    > http://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-he-iot-security-bootstrapping-00

I read the document with great interest.
I found that you explained the incremental boot-strapping process quite well,
and nobody has clearly articulated the process yet.  People have just assumed
that everyone knows this process, but really it needs to get written down, so
I thank you for doing that.

Given that:

   Because IEEE 802.15.4 maximum payload size is 128 Bytes, a standard
   security bootstrapping protocol should be light-weight with low
   complexity.  The protocol must allow for commissioning of devices

I was surprised that the draft then suggested EAP with PANA as a transport:

   If EAP is used, PANA can be used to relay the authentication message
   from configured FFDs to 6LBR.  If the validation is successful, the
   IP address and network key are generated and delivered to the FFD.

But, EAP-TLS with PANA is exactly what the Zigbee IP specification has
specified.  Do you envision any changes from that specification?
A minority of people had prefered this mechanism for 6tisch-security, but
none stepped forward to write up that mechanism.   Perhaps this draft could
fulfill that need?

You write that the IP address would be generated; usually that occurs via
distribution of PIOs via ND (router-adveristments) or RPL.  Were you going to
suggest something else here?

From the ANIMA and 6tisch-security point of view, my view is that this is all
about the choice of certificates for the TLS setup.  Do you have any view on
how that might work?

The 6tisch-security bootstrap process aims to create a
YANG/CBOR-over-CoAP-over-DTLS session between a Join Coordinator and the
Joining Node: over that management link, security (and timeslot scheduling)
would be provisioned.

--
Michael Richardson <[email-masked]>, Sandelman Software Works
 -= IPv6 IoT consulting =-