Hybrid security architecture (HSA) for secure execution of mobile agents

Mobile Agents are no longer a theoretical issue, since different architectures for their realization have already been proposed. Security is an important issue for the widespread deployment of applications based on mobile agent technology. Despite its many practical benefits, without the proper solution to the security problems, use of agent-based applications is severely impeded. This paper identifies the major issues related with the security of mobile agents and presents an architecture which is hybrid in nature i.e. uses different approaches and techniques to solve the security related problems of mobile agents. Proposed architecture is centralized at one level and distributed at other. Pull and push both approaches have been used to detect the host failure. It takes the use of existing security techniques such as digital signature, use of public and private key, intrusion detector system, signed agreement etc. to ensure the security of both mobile agents and the executing hosts.