A method for synchronizing a data base at a plurality of nodes in an ad hoc network including at least one authentication node group; each authentication node group including a leader node and at least one member node; the method includes: (a) in each respective authentication node group, comparing and identifying differences between the data base at the respective leader node and the data base at each respective member node; (b) for each comparing, if the differences are identified, exchanging data bases between the leader node and the member node; and (c) for each comparing, in no particular order: (1) merging the leader node data base with the member data base at the leader node to create a leader node merged data base; and (2) merging the member node data base with the leader data base at the member node to create a member node merged data base.