A key predistribution scheme for deployable sensor networks using the node deployment probability density function

In order to establish encrypted communications in deployable sensor networks, it is essential that encryption keys be shared between nodes. However, the sharing of keys is not simple given the restricted resources of such devices. In recent years, several random key predistribution schemes have been proposed; in the scheme proposed by Du and colleagues, improved performance is achieved by using information regarding the deployment location when predistributing keys. However, this scheme suffers from the problem that it is possible to apply only for the so-called group deployment model whereby nodes are partitioned into groups and deployed from locations that are arranged systematically. In this paper we propose a random key predistribution scheme that can be applied to arbitrary deployment models by making use of probability distribution information regarding the deployment when the key predistribution is performed. In addition, we confirm from computational experiments that this method is able to construct networks that are more consolidated than those created by Du and colleagues' scheme. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.