Patent ID: 8295491

Claim:
A method for aggregating data in a network ( 1 ) comprising a plurality of sensor nodes (N i ) to measure data and a sink node (S) at which the data measured by the sensor nodes (N i ) are aggregated, comprising the steps of: a first node (S) choosing a master key (K) for a key distribution within the network; a second node of the network autonomously splitting the master key (K) into plural individual keys (ki) for use by the sensor nodes (Ni) for encrypting data, where a sum of all the individual keys (ki) is equal to the master key (K); distributing each of the individual keys (ki) to a corresponding different one of the sensor nodes (Ni) so that each sensor node (Ni) has a different individual key (ki), each different individual key (ki) representing a certain subtotal key (ki) of the master key (K); each sensor node (N i ) encrypting values of measured data with the distributed corresponding individual key (k i ); and each sensor node (Ni) forwarding the encrypted measured data towards the sink node (S).