Security authentication and key management within an infrastructure-based wireless multi-hop network

A method of security authentication and key management within an infrastructure-based wireless multi-hop network, the method comprising:

• initially authenticating a supplicant including determining one or more authenticated supplicant role attributes with an authentication server;
• obtaining one or more authorization attributes from the authentication server by a top level key holder;
• determining whether the authenticated supplicant role attribute is a level one key holder by the top level key holder;
• initiating a four-way handshaking between the top level key holder and the supplicant with a pair-wise master key (PMK)_0 to derive a Key Distribution Key (KDK) when the authenticated supplicant role attribute is a level one key holder;
• and
• when the authenticated supplicant role attribute is not a level one key holder:
• communicating a level one pair-wise master key (PMK)_1 from the top level key holder to a level one key holder,
• initiating a four-way handshaking between the level one key holder and the supplicant with the level one pair-wise master key (PMK)_1 to generate a secure communication link between the supplicant and the level one key holder, and
• communicating on the secure link between the level one key holder and the supplicant.