A Delegation Based Model for Distributed Trust
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2001-08-01
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Abstract
In this paper we outline an infrastructure that facilitates security
and trust management in a multi-agent system. Our
model eases the problem of authorization in a network of heterogeneous
agents and also contains mechanisms for delegation
of authorization information. The framework allows
agents to exchange trust information using a series of Interaction
Protocols based on FIPA (Foundation for Intelligent
Physical Agents) Interaction Protocols (FIPA 1998). It decentralizes
security decisions, enabling more than one agent to be
responsible for the validation of requests or for the delegation
of permissions. It is very flexible and encourages mobility because
the process of requesting services and granting access
is divided into two independent steps. This allows an agent to
disconnect after the first step and reconnect elsewhere to continue
the process of securing the service. The model also uses
a policy based approach, to specify rules for authorization
and delegation, and a distributed knowledge base, that contains
information about the interacting agents. We describe
an implemented system that incorporates our framework using
X.509 certificates and a Prolog knowledge base.