Security Protocols In Latex

Question

I am quite new to latex. As part of a course we are required to submit different variations of protocols using the regulars Alice, Bob and Trudy.

I was wondering if it is possible to produce something similar to: this http://images.slideplayer.us/5/1532038/slides/slide_44.jpg

So far, I am able to display images using \includegraphics and \overleftarrow/overright arrow from mathml. But the arrows are at the bottom of the image and successive arrows are on a single straight line.

I am not sure how to break them and align them vertically.

Answer 1

TiKZ is one option

\documentclass[border=2mm,tikz]{standalone}

\usepackage{mwe}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usetikzlibrary{positioning}

\begin{document}

\begin{tikzpicture}[>=stealth]
\node[ label=below:{Alice: $K, a$}] (A) {\includegraphics[width=2cm,keepaspectratio]{example-image-a}};
\node[right=5cm of A, label=below:{Bob: $K, b$}] (B) {\includegraphics[width=2cm,keepaspectratio]{example-image-b}};
\draw[->,thick] (A.20) -- node[above]{$E(g^a\ \text{mod}\ p, K)$} (B.160);
\draw[<-,thick] (A.-20) -- node[above]{$E(g^b\ \text{mod}\ p, K)$} (B.-160);
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

but you can find some other options (msc, pstricks, ...) searching here:

• Drawing network protocols

• Drawing simple sequence diagram

• Creating protocol message diagrams

• ...

although there is no need to use them, you can use tabulars to do it

\begin{tabular}{ccc}
\includegraphics[width=2cm,keepaspectratio]{example-image-a} & 
\raisebox{5ex}{%
   \begin{tabular}{c}
   $\underrightarrow{\quad E(g^a\ \text{mod}\ p, K)\quad}$\\
   $\underleftarrow{\quad E(g^b\ \text{mod}\ p, K)\quad}$
   \end{tabular}} &
\includegraphics[width=2cm,keepaspectratio]{example-image-b} \\
Alice: $K, a$ & & Bob: $K, b$\\
\end{tabular}

Update:

I just wanted to mention tikzpeople package which was designed to draw more colorfull security protocols. With default alice and bob you obtain:

\documentclass[border=2mm,tikz]{standalone}

\usepackage{tikzpeople}
\usetikzlibrary{positioning}
\usepackage{amsmath}

\begin{document}

\begin{tikzpicture}[>=stealth]
\node[alice, minimum size=2cm,label=below:{Alice: $K, a$}] (alice) {};
\node[bob, mirrored, minimum size=2cm, right=5cm of alice, label=below:{Bob: $K, b$}] (bob) {};
\draw[->,thick] (alice.20) -- node[above]{$E(g^a\ \text{mod}\ p, K)$} (bob.160);
\draw[<-,thick] (alice.-20) -- node[above]{$E(g^b\ \text{mod}\ p, K)$} (bob.-160);
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

But you can use some other characters like following ones and some other ones