{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7134884727","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/ton.2026.3672539","title":"Avatar: Securing Anonymous Communication With Relay Anonymity","display_name":"Avatar: Securing Anonymous Communication With Relay Anonymity","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-01-01","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7134884727","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/ton.2026.3672539"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1109/ton.2026.3672539","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/ton.2026.3672539","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S5407042750","display_name":"IEEE Transactions on Networking","issn_l":"2998-4157","issn":["2998-4157"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"IEEE Transactions on Networking","raw_type":"journal-article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":false,"oa_status":"closed","oa_url":null,"any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5128714058","display_name":"Hao Zhu","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210132990","display_name":"State Key Laboratory of Cryptology","ror":"https://ror.org/02pn5rj08","country_code":"CN","type":"government","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210132990"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Hao Zhu","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of Cyber Science and Technology and the National Graduate School for Elite Engineers, State Key Laboratory of Cryptography and Digital Economy Security, Shandong University, Qingdao, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0008-3225-4829","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of Cyber Science and Technology and the National Graduate School for Elite Engineers, State Key Laboratory of Cryptography and Digital Economy Security, Shandong University, Qingdao, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210132990"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5128734357","display_name":"Mei Wang","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210132990","display_name":"State Key Laboratory of Cryptology","ror":"https://ror.org/02pn5rj08","country_code":"CN","type":"government","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210132990"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Mei Wang","raw_affiliation_strings":["State Key Laboratory of Cryptography and Digital Economy Security, Key Laboratory of Cryptologic Technology and Information Security, School of Cyber Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Qingdao, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7658-3797","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"State Key Laboratory of Cryptography and Digital Economy Security, Key Laboratory of Cryptologic Technology and Information Security, School of Cyber Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Qingdao, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210132990"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5128748529","display_name":"Zengpeng Li","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210132990","display_name":"State Key Laboratory of Cryptology","ror":"https://ror.org/02pn5rj08","country_code":"CN","type":"government","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210132990"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zengpeng Li","raw_affiliation_strings":["State Key Laboratory of Cryptography and Digital Economy Security, Key Laboratory of Cryptologic Technology and Information Security, School of Cyber Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Qingdao, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0758-7230","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"State Key Laboratory of Cryptography and Digital Economy Security, Key Laboratory of Cryptologic Technology and Information Security, School of Cyber Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Qingdao, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210132990"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"Jing Chen","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7212-5297"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I37461747","display_name":"Wuhan University","ror":"https://ror.org/033vjfk17","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I37461747"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Jing Chen","raw_affiliation_strings":["Key Laboratory of Aerospace Information Security and Trusted Computing, Ministry of Education, School of Cyber Science and Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7212-5297","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Key Laboratory of Aerospace Information Security and Trusted Computing, Ministry of Education, School of Cyber Science and Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I37461747"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":2,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":0.0,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.23815926,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":false},"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":"34","issue":null,"first_page":"4299","last_page":"4314"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11598","display_name":"Internet Traffic Analysis and Secure E-voting","score":0.9926999807357788,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11598","display_name":"Internet Traffic Analysis and Secure E-voting","score":0.9926999807357788,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10651","display_name":"IPv6, Mobility, Handover, Networks, Security","score":0.0005000000237487257,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2208","display_name":"Electrical and Electronic Engineering"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/22","display_name":"Engineering"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10714","display_name":"Software-Defined Networks and 5G","score":0.0005000000237487257,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1705","display_name":"Computer Networks and Communications"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/anonymity","display_name":"Anonymity","score":0.7994999885559082},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/relay","display_name":"Relay","score":0.5720999836921692},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/cryptography","display_name":"Cryptography","score":0.4255000054836273},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/server","display_name":"Server","score":0.4185999929904938},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/the-internet","display_name":"The Internet","score":0.4081000089645386},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/confidentiality","display_name":"Confidentiality","score":0.39980000257492065},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/communication-source","display_name":"Communication source","score":0.3978999853134155},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/resilience","display_name":"Resilience (materials science)","score":0.3450999855995178},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/key","display_name":"Key (lock)","score":0.33009999990463257}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C178005623","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q308859","display_name":"Anonymity","level":2,"score":0.7994999885559082},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C38652104","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3510521","display_name":"Computer security","level":1,"score":0.6668000221252441},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.6406999826431274},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778156585","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q174053","display_name":"Relay","level":3,"score":0.5720999836921692},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C31258907","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1301371","display_name":"Computer network","level":1,"score":0.5178999900817871},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C108827166","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q175975","display_name":"Internet privacy","level":1,"score":0.4375},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C178489894","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8789","display_name":"Cryptography","level":2,"score":0.4255000054836273},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C93996380","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44127","display_name":"Server","level":2,"score":0.4185999929904938},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C110875604","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q75","display_name":"The Internet","level":2,"score":0.4081000089645386},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C71745522","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2476929","display_name":"Confidentiality","level":2,"score":0.39980000257492065},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C198104137","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q974688","display_name":"Communication source","level":2,"score":0.3978999853134155},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779585090","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3457762","display_name":"Resilience (materials science)","level":2,"score":0.3450999855995178},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C26517878","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q228039","display_name":"Key (lock)","level":2,"score":0.33009999990463257},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C123201435","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q456632","display_name":"Information privacy","level":2,"score":0.32839998602867126},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C104954878","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1648707","display_name":"Routing protocol","level":3,"score":0.2971000075340271},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779960059","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7113681","display_name":"Overhead (engineering)","level":2,"score":0.2888999879360199},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778355321","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17079427","display_name":"Identity (music)","level":2,"score":0.2865999937057495},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780385302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q367158","display_name":"Protocol (science)","level":3,"score":0.2847999930381775},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C182590292","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q989632","display_name":"Network security","level":2,"score":0.27469998598098755},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C184660509","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q462624","display_name":"Shared secret","level":3,"score":0.271699994802475},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C172191483","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1071806","display_name":"Provisioning","level":2,"score":0.26899999380111694},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C116537","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2169973","display_name":"Service provider","level":3,"score":0.2671999931335449},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776743756","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5097921","display_name":"Safeguarding","level":2,"score":0.2655999958515167},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C509729295","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7246032","display_name":"Privacy software","level":3,"score":0.26440000534057617},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C74172769","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1446839","display_name":"Routing (electronic design automation)","level":2,"score":0.25360000133514404}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1109/ton.2026.3672539","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/ton.2026.3672539","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S5407042750","display_name":"IEEE Transactions on Networking","issn_l":"2998-4157","issn":["2998-4157"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"IEEE Transactions on Networking","raw_type":"journal-article"}],"best_oa_location":null,"sustainable_development_goals":[{"score":0.7912471294403076,"id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/16","display_name":"Peace, Justice and strong institutions"}],"awards":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/G4061236675","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"ZR2023MF045","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320324174","funder_display_name":"Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/G5416992393","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"2022YFB2701700","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320335777","funder_display_name":"National Key Research and Development Program of China"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/G5572437607","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"23-2-1-152-zyyd-jch","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320328636","funder_display_name":"Natural Science Foundation of Qingdao"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/G5724092040","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"ZR2023QF088","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320324174","funder_display_name":"Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/G6986863253","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"62472255","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320321001","funder_display_name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/G8863133921","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"62302271","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320321001","funder_display_name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China"}],"funders":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320321001","display_name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","ror":"https://ror.org/01h0zpd94"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320324174","display_name":"Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province","ror":null},{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320328636","display_name":"Natural Science Foundation of Qingdao","ror":null},{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320335777","display_name":"National Key Research and Development Program of China","ror":null}],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Onion":[0],"routing":[1,75,291],"and":[2,14,36,41,57,73,87,101,108,124,188,252,273],"mix":[3],"networks":[4,26],"are":[5,105,111,208],"designed":[6],"to":[7,15,84,98,113,122,143,151,239,242,259,285],"provide":[8,269],"users":[9,241],"with":[10,190,247],"anonymous":[11,25,61,181,183],"Internet":[12],"access":[13],"prevent":[16],"the":[17,55,58,132,178,199,204,210,227,244,248,276,286],"disclosure":[18],"of":[19,52,68,180,198,275],"real":[20],"IP":[21],"addresses.":[22],"In":[23,160],"practice,":[24],"serve":[27],"various":[28],"legitimate":[29],"purposes,":[30],"such":[31,77],"as":[32,78,96,254],"whistleblowing,":[33],"circum-venting":[34],"censorship,":[35],"safeguarding":[37],"personal":[38],"online":[39,245],"privacy":[40,155,171],"security.":[42,145],"These":[43],"systems":[44,76],"typically":[45],"achieve":[46],"anonymity":[47,253],"by":[48],"introducing":[49],"a":[50,270],"series":[51],"relays":[53,70,94,104],"between":[54],"sender":[56],"receiver.":[59],"An":[60,146],"path,":[62],"or":[63],"circuit,":[64],"is":[65,149,175],"usually":[66],"composed":[67],"multiple":[69],"(commonly":[71],"three),":[72],"onion":[74,290],"Tor":[79,91,206,288],"rely":[80],"on":[81],"these":[82],"circuits":[83],"relay":[85,129,153,170],"traffic":[86],"ensure":[88],"anonymity.":[89],"Although":[90],"employs":[92],"hidden":[93],"(known":[95],"bridges)":[97],"resist":[99],"censorship":[100],"blocking,":[102],"most":[103],"publicly":[106],"listed,":[107],"their":[109,264],"identities":[110],"visible":[112],"circuit":[114,117],"initiators":[115],"during":[116],"construction,":[118],"making":[119],"them":[120,258],"susceptible":[121],"surveillance":[123],"targeted":[125],"attacks.":[126],"A":[127],"malicious":[128],"deviating":[130],"from":[131],"protocol":[133,295],"(<italic":[134],"xmlns:mml=\"http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\"":[135],"xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\">e.g.,</i>":[136],"injecting":[137],"modified":[138],"onions)":[139],"poses":[140],"serious":[141],"threats":[142],"system":[144],"interesting":[147],"question":[148],"how":[150],"preserve":[152],"identity":[154],"while":[156],"maintaining":[157],"network":[158,207,212,302],"functionality.":[159],"this":[161,217,236],"paper,":[162],"we":[163,268],"introduce":[164],"an":[165,255],"innovative":[166],"method":[167],"for":[168],"protecting":[169],"within":[172,203],"circuits.":[173],"This":[174],"achieved":[176],"through":[177],"application":[179],"credentials,":[182],"verifiable":[184],"random":[185],"functions":[186],"(AVRFs),":[187],"signatures":[189],"key":[191],"blinding.":[192],"Additionally,":[193],"if":[194],"more":[195,224],"than":[196],"half":[197],"directory":[200],"authority":[201],"servers":[202],"current":[205],"compromised,":[209],"entire":[211],"could":[213],"collapse.":[214],"To":[215],"mitigate":[216],"risk,":[218],"our":[219,293],"design":[220],"distributes":[221],"trust":[222],"among":[223],"entities,":[225],"enhancing":[226],"network\u2019s":[228,289],"resilience":[229],"against":[230],"potential":[231],"adversaries.":[232],"We":[233],"have":[234],"named":[235],"approach":[237],"Avatar":[238,277],"enable":[240],"navigate":[243],"realm":[246],"same":[249],"freedom,":[250],"privacy,":[251],"Avatar,":[256],"allowing":[257],"maintain":[260],"full":[261],"control":[262],"over":[263],"digital":[265],"identity.":[266],"Furthermore,":[267],"comprehensive":[271],"analysis":[272],"evaluation":[274],"framework.":[278],"The":[279],"findings":[280],"indicate":[281],"that,":[282],"in":[283,300],"comparison":[284],"original":[287],"protocol,":[292],"proposed":[294],"exhibits":[296],"superior":[297],"time":[298],"efficiency":[299],"many":[301],"environments.":[303]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-03-28T06:11:35.319607","created_date":"2026-03-12T00:00:00"}
