A Data Fusion Technique to Detect Wireless Network Virtual Jamming Attacks

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.Wireless communications are potentially exposed to jamming due to the openness of the medium and, in particular, to virtual jamming, which allows more energy-efficient attacks. In this paper we tackle the problem of virtual jamming attacks on IEEE 802.11 networks and present a data fusion solution for the detection of a type of virtual jamming attack (namely, NAV attacks), based on the real-time monitoring of a set of metrics. The detection performance is evaluated in a number of real scenarios

Resilient networking in wireless sensor networks

This report deals with security in wireless sensor networks (WSNs), especially in network layer. Multiple secure routing protocols have been proposed in the literature. However, they often use the cryptography to secure routing functionalities. The cryptography alone is not enough to defend against multiple attacks due to the node compromise. Therefore, we need more algorithmic solutions. In this report, we focus on the behavior of routing protocols to determine which properties make them more resilient to attacks. Our aim is to find some answers to the following questions. Are there any existing protocols, not designed initially for security, but which already contain some inherently resilient properties against attacks under which some portion of the network nodes is compromised? If yes, which specific behaviors are making these protocols more resilient? We propose in this report an overview of security strategies for WSNs in general, including existing attacks and defensive measures. In this report we focus at the network layer in particular, and an analysis of the behavior of four particular routing protocols is provided to determine their inherent resiliency to insider attacks. The protocols considered are: Dynamic Source Routing (DSR), Gradient-Based Routing (GBR), Greedy Forwarding (GF) and Random Walk Routing (RWR)

On the Security of the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Protocol

Automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) is the communications protocol currently being rolled out as part of next generation air transportation systems. As the heart of modern air traffic control, it will play an essential role in the protection of two billion passengers per year, besides being crucial to many other interest groups in aviation. The inherent lack of security measures in the ADS-B protocol has long been a topic in both the aviation circles and in the academic community. Due to recently published proof-of-concept attacks, the topic is becoming ever more pressing, especially with the deadline for mandatory implementation in most airspaces fast approaching. This survey first summarizes the attacks and problems that have been reported in relation to ADS-B security. Thereafter, it surveys both the theoretical and practical efforts which have been previously conducted concerning these issues, including possible countermeasures. In addition, the survey seeks to go beyond the current state of the art and gives a detailed assessment of security measures which have been developed more generally for related wireless networks such as sensor networks and vehicular ad hoc networks, including a taxonomy of all considered approaches.Comment: Survey, 22 Pages, 21 Figure

A Survey on Wireless Sensor Network Security

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have recently attracted a lot of interest in the research community due their wide range of applications. Due to distributed nature of these networks and their deployment in remote areas, these networks are vulnerable to numerous security threats that can adversely affect their proper functioning. This problem is more critical if the network is deployed for some mission-critical applications such as in a tactical battlefield. Random failure of nodes is also very likely in real-life deployment scenarios. Due to resource constraints in the sensor nodes, traditional security mechanisms with large overhead of computation and communication are infeasible in WSNs. Security in sensor networks is, therefore, a particularly challenging task. This paper discusses the current state of the art in security mechanisms for WSNs. Various types of attacks are discussed and their countermeasures presented. A brief discussion on the future direction of research in WSN security is also included.Comment: 24 pages, 4 figures, 2 table

Using metrics from multiple layers to detect attacks in wireless networks

The IEEE 802.11 networks are vulnerable to numerous wireless-specific attacks. Attackers can implement MAC address spoofing techniques to launch these attacks, while masquerading themselves behind a false MAC address. The implementation of Intrusion Detection Systems has become fundamental in the development of security infrastructures for wireless networks. This thesis proposes the designing a novel security system that makes use of metrics from multiple layers of observation to produce a collective decision on whether an attack is taking place. The Dempster-Shafer Theory of Evidence is the data fusion technique used to combine the evidences from the different layers. A novel, unsupervised and self- adaptive Basic Probability Assignment (BPA) approach able to automatically adapt its beliefs assignment to the current characteristics of the wireless network is proposed. This BPA approach is composed of three different and independent statistical techniques, which are capable to identify the presence of attacks in real time. Despite the lightweight processing requirements, the proposed security system produces outstanding detection results, generating high intrusion detection accuracy and very low number of false alarms. A thorough description of the generated results, for all the considered datasets is presented in this thesis. The effectiveness of the proposed system is evaluated using different types of injection attacks. Regarding one of these attacks, to the best of the author knowledge, the security system presented in this thesis is the first one able to efficiently identify the Airpwn attack

Protection of mobile and wireless networks against service availability attacks

Cellular and wireless communications are widely used as preferred technology for accessing network services due to their flexibility and cost-effective deployment. 4G (4th Generation) networks have been gradually substituting legacy systems, relying on the existing commercial and private Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) infrastructures, mainly based on the IEEE 802.11 standard, to provide mobile data offloading and reduce congestion on the valuable limited spectrum. Such predominant position on the market makes cellular and wireless communications a profitable target for malicious users and hackers, justifying the constant effort on protecting them from existing and future security threats. [Continues.

Fusing multi-layer metrics for detecting security attacks in 802.11 networks

Computer networks and more specifically wireless communication networks are increasingly becoming susceptible to more sophisticated and untraceable attacks. Most of the current Intrusion Detection Systems either focus on just one layer of observation or use a limited number of metrics without proper data fusion techniques. However, the true status of a network, is rarely accurately detectable by examining only one network layer or metric. Ideally, a synergistic approach would require knowledge from various layers to be fused and, collectively, an ultimate decision to be taken. To this aim, the Dempster-Shafer (D-S) approach is examined as a data fusion algorithm that combines beliefs of multiple metrics across multiple layers. This paper describes the methodology of using metrics from multiple layers of wireless communication networks for detecting wireless security breaches. The metrics are analysed and compared to historical data and each gives a belief of whether an attack takes place or not. The beliefs from different metrics are fused with the D-S technique with the ultimate goal of limiting false alarms by combining beliefs from various network layers. The results show that cross-layer techniques and data fusion perform more efficiently in a variety of situations compared to conventional methods

Protecting 802.11-Based Wireless Networks From SCTS and JACK Attacks

The convenience of IEEE 802.11-based wireless access networks has led to widespread deployment. However, these applications are predicated on the assumption of availability and confidentiality. Error-prone wireless networks afford an attacker considerable flexibility to exploit the vulnerabilities of 802.11-based mechanism. Two of most famous misbehaviors are selfish and malicious attacks. In this thesis we investigate two attacks: Spurious CTS attack (SCTS) and Jamming ACK attack (JACK). In the SCTS, malicious nodes may send periodic Spurious CTS packets to force other nodes to update their NAV values and prevent them from using the channel. In the JACK, an attacker ruins legitimate ACK packets for the intention of disrupting the traffic flow and draining the battery energy of victim nodes quickly. Correspondingly, we propose solutions: termed Carrier Sensing based Discarding (CSD), and Extended Network Allocation Vector (ENAV) scheme. We further demonstrate the performance of our proposed schemes through analysis and NS2 simulations

Protecting 802.11-Based Wireless Networks From SCTS and JACK Attacks

The convenience of IEEE 802.11-based wireless access networks has led to widespread deployment. However, these applications are predicated on the assumption of availability and confidentiality. Error-prone wireless networks afford an attacker considerable flexibility to exploit the vulnerabilities of 802.11-based mechanism. Two of most famous misbehaviors are selfish and malicious attacks. In this thesis we investigate two attacks: Spurious CTS attack (SCTS) and Jamming ACK attack (JACK). In the SCTS, malicious nodes may send periodic Spurious CTS packets to force other nodes to update their NAV values and prevent them from using the channel. In the JACK, an attacker ruins legitimate ACK packets for the intention of disrupting the traffic flow and draining the battery energy of victim nodes quickly. Correspondingly, we propose solutions: termed Carrier Sensing based Discarding (CSD), and Extended Network Allocation Vector (ENAV) scheme. We further demonstrate the performance of our proposed schemes through analysis and NS2 simulations