Date of Award
Spring 5-29-2024
Document Type
Thesis (Undergraduate)
Department
Computer Science
First Advisor
Timothy J. Pierson
Abstract
Cryptography offers a wide arsenal of encryption methods to enable secure communication between two
devices that have already exchanged a shared secret. Existing techniques for exchanging a shared secret,
however, are often vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks, require special hardware for out-of-band com-
munications, or require a pre-existing Internet connection. With the constantly increasing prevalence of
Internet of Things (IoT) devices sharing sensitive information via wireless networks, the need for a method
to establish secure communication is more pressing than ever.
With this context, we present Whisper, a novel technique that combines elements of digital commu-
nication theory, cryptography, and probability theory to enable two nearby, unfamiliar devices to exchange
a shared secret while thwarting eavesdropping adversaries from intercepting the secret. Whisper uses prox-
imity as a means for authentication, allowing the two devices to share a secret that they can use to encrypt
further communication.
In this paper, we provide an analysis of Whisper’s theoretical performance through its use of the
Inverse-Square Law, MIMO beamforming, and Shamir’s Secret Sharing (SSS). We demonstrate Whisper’s
mathematical viability, acknowledge its limitations, and provide potential avenues for future research.
Recommended Citation
Vogel, Charles A., "Whisper: Proximity-Based Authentication for Securely Sharing Secrets" (2024). Computer Science Senior Theses. 37.
https://digitalcommons.dartmouth.edu/cs_senior_theses/37
