Distributed key management scheme for peer-to-peer live streaming services

Live media streaming over peer-to-peer (P2P) network structures is commonplace nowadays. However, with the large number of users in a typical P2P system, it is impractical to use the central server to process the key information update requests of all the users Accordingly, the present study proposes a distributed key management scheme in which the server is only required to transmit the key update information to a limited number of users. To further reduce the load on the server, the update information is distributed using a hop-by-hop approach. An effective method is proposed for protecting the key update information as it is propagated through the network. In addition, a technique is presented for ensuring the security of the certificates used in the system It is shown that the distributed key management scheme and authentication procedure ensure an efficient and secure P2P live streaming performance even in the event of high churn rates.