Securing Wireless Sensor Networks against Large-scale Node Capture Attacks

摘要

Securing wireless sensor networks against node capture is a challenging task. All well-known random key predistribution systems, including the Eschenauer and Gligor's pioneering scheme, its extensions, as well as threshold schemes, be come insecure when a large number of nodes are captured. We propose a general technique, called virtual key ring, that can effectively strengthen the resilience of random key pre distribution systems against node capture attacks by reduc ing the pre-loaded keying material while maintaining secure connectivity of the network. The technique is general and applicable to many key pre distribution systems. We however focus on the original EG scheme and propose a virtual key ring system based on this pioneering scheme. We provide detailed mathematical anal ysis and a security proof for the system, and use extensive simulation to validate the analysis and to compare perfor mance of the new system with the original EG scheme. We also present simulation results for the strengthened resilience when the virtual key ring scheme is combined with the multi path key reinforcement and q-composite techniques, showing that the system resilience is substantially improved against large-scale node capture attack (e.g., 40% of nodes cap tured).