Case Study of Attribute Based Access Control for Genomics Data Using Named Data Networking.

The recent COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated the potential of cutting-edge genomics research. However, privacy of these sensitive pieces of information is an area of significant concern for health professionals and genomics researchers. The current security model depends on securing location and data transmission channels but lacks the needed flexibility. Even when data is encrypted, key distribution and access control to those keys can be complex, leading to complex systems and reduced research productivity. In this work, we investigate an attribute-based access control model for genomics data. This work builds on top of a Named Data Networking (NDN) Name-based Access Control (NAC) model and explores how attribute-based encryption can be used to provide access control.