Providing Effective Security in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks Without Affecting Bandwidth or Interoperability

摘要

Finding security solutions for Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANETs) that do not detrimentally affect their utility is a challenging research problem. We present mechanisms that can be used for detecting sophisticated attacks against MANETs as well as for providing methods of authentication and information leakage prevention. We implement our methods in a laboratory testbed and provided experimental evidence of their efficacy. Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANETs) are recognised as being a disruptive technology that could have tremendous impact on military communications. Selforganising networks using simple, standardised protocols can accommodate a heterogeneity of devices (nodes) and maintain reliable communications in environments where the mobility of nodes creates a dynamic network topology. Among the important advantages of MANET technology is that the ease of set-up and network configuration should facilitate interoperability among nodes of varying capabilities as well as nodes from different forces and/or different nations. In a coalition environment where nodes of a single nation are too dispersed to form their own network, the ability to route traffic through intermediary nodes of partner nations allows spontaneous creation of allied communication networks - that is, the 'organic' growth of networks takes advantage of the node density of the entire coalition. Unfortunately, the advantages of MANETs, including their ease of formation, their dynamic, distributed nature, and open wireless medium, inherently bring along with them a myriad of new and significant security vulnerabilities.