GossiCrypt: Wireless Sensor Network Data Confidentiality Against Parasitic Adversaries

Resource and cost constraints remain a challenge for wireless sensor network security. In this paper, we propose a new approach to protect confidentiality against a parasitic adversary, which seeks to exploit sensor networks by obtaining measurements in an unauthorized way. Our low-complexity solution, GossiCrypt, leverages on the large scale of sensor networks to protect confidentiality efficiently and effectively. GossiCrypt protects data by symmetric key encryption at their source nodes and re-encryption at a randomly chosen subset of nodes en route to the sink. Furthermore, it employs key refreshing to mitigate the physical compromise of cryptographic keys. We validate GossiCrypt analytically and with simulations, showing it protects data confidentiality with probability almost one. Moreover, compared with a system that uses public-key data encryption, the energy consumption of GossiCrypt is one to three orders of magnitude lower

Multi-generations Key Pre-distribution's Technique in Wireless Sensor Networks

Network future relies nowadays on producing a low-cost and effective network in less cost. One of the most effective network solutions is the Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN). Security is the main challenge of this kind of networks where the nodes in such network are restricted by the power consumption due to limited power source. The main factor of WSN security is the key management part which consists of creating, distributing, and using the keys in the network lifecycle. Key Pre-distribution technique is approved to work efficiently to support WSN security. One of the drawbacks of this technique is that it is not supporting renewing and refreshing keys to support multi-generations sensors. In this work we present a novel technique to reproduce new keys from old pre-distributed keys in efficient way to save the power

Solutions and Tools for Secure Communication in Wireless Sensor Networks

Secure communication is considered a vital requirement in Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) applications. Such a requirement embraces different aspects, including confidentiality, integrity and authenticity of exchanged information, proper management of security material, and effective prevention and reaction against security threats and attacks. However, WSNs are mainly composed of resource-constrained devices. That is, network nodes feature reduced capabilities, especially in terms of memory storage, computing power, transmission rate, and energy availability. As a consequence, assuring secure communication in WSNs results to be more difficult than in other kinds of network. In fact, trading effectiveness of adopted solutions with their efficiency becomes far more important. In addition, specific device classes or technologies may require to design ad hoc security solutions. Also, it is necessary to efficiently manage security material, and dynamically cope with changes of security requirements. Finally, security threats and countermeasures have to be carefully considered since from the network design phase. This Ph.D. dissertion considers secure communication in WSNs, and provides the following contributions. First, we provide a performance evaluation of IEEE 802.15.4 security services. Then, we focus on the ZigBee technology and its security services, and propose possible solutions to some deficiencies and inefficiencies. Second, we present HISS, a highly scalable and efficient key management scheme, able to contrast collusion attacks while displaying a graceful degradation of performance. Third, we present STaR, a software component for WSNs that secures multiple traffic flows at the same time. It is transparent to the application, and provides runtime reconfigurability, thus coping with dynamic changes of security requirements. Finally, we describe ASF, our attack simulation framework for WSNs. Such a tool helps network designers to quantitatively evaluate effects of security attacks, produce an attack ranking based on their severity, and thus select the most appropriate countermeasures

A resilient key predistribution scheme for multiphase wireless sensor networks

In wireless sensor networks, sensor nodes eventually die due to battery depletion. Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) in which new nodes are periodically redeployed with certain intervals, called generations, to replace the dead nodes are called multi-phase wireless sensor networks. In the literature, there are several key predistribution schemes proposed for secure operation of WSNs. However, these schemes are designed for single phase networks which are not resilient against continuous node capture attacks; even under temporary attacks on the network, the harm caused by the attacker does not heal in time. However, the periodic deployments in multi-phase sensor networks could be utilized to improve the resiliency of the WSNs by deploying nodes with fresh keys. In the literature, there is limited work done in this area. In this paper, we propose a key predistribution scheme for multi-phase wireless sensor networks which is highly resilient under node capture attacks. In our scheme, called RGM (random generation material) key predistribution scheme, each generation of deployment has its own random keying material and pairwise keys are established between node pairs of particular generations. These keys are specific to these generations. Therefore, a captured node cannot be abused to obtain keys of other generations. We compare the performance of our RGM scheme with a well-known multi-phase key predistribution scheme and showed that RGM achieves up to three-fold more resiliency. Even under heavy attacks, our scheme's resiliency performance is 50% better in steady state

Evolving SDN for Low-Power IoT Networks

Software Defined Networking (SDN) offers a flexible and scalable architecture that abstracts decision making away from individual devices and provides a programmable network platform. However, implementing a centralized SDN architecture within the constraints of a low-power wireless network faces considerable challenges. Not only is controller traffic subject to jitter due to unreliable links and network contention, but the overhead generated by SDN can severely affect the performance of other traffic. This paper addresses the challenge of bringing high-overhead SDN architecture to IEEE 802.15.4 networks. We explore how traditional SDN needs to evolve in order to overcome the constraints of low-power wireless networks, and discuss protocol and architectural optimizations necessary to reduce SDN control overhead - the main barrier to successful implementation. We argue that interoperability with the existing protocol stack is necessary to provide a platform for controller discovery and coexistence with legacy networks. We consequently introduce {\mu}SDN, a lightweight SDN framework for Contiki, with both IPv6 and underlying routing protocol interoperability, as well as optimizing a number of elements within the SDN architecture to reduce control overhead to practical levels. We evaluate {\mu}SDN in terms of latency, energy, and packet delivery. Through this evaluation we show how the cost of SDN control overhead (both bootstrapping and management) can be reduced to a point where comparable performance and scalability is achieved against an IEEE 802.15.4-2012 RPL-based network. Additionally, we demonstrate {\mu}SDN through simulation: providing a use-case where the SDN configurability can be used to provide Quality of Service (QoS) for critical network flows experiencing interference, and we achieve considerable reductions in delay and jitter in comparison to a scenario without SDN

Security in Wireless Sensor Networks - Improving the LEAP Protocol

Wireless sensor networks are becoming significantly vital to many applications, and they were initially used by the military for surveillance purposes. One of the biggest concerns of WSNs is that they are very defenceless to security threats. Due to the fact that these networks are susceptible to hackers; it is possible for one to enter and render a network. For example, such networks may be hacked into in the military, using the system to attack friendly forces. Leap protocol offers many security benefits to WSNs. However, with much research it became apparent that LEAP only employs one base station and always assumes that it is trustworthy. It does not consist of defence against hacked or compromised base stations. In this paper, intensive research was undertaken on LEAP protocols, finding out its security drawbacks and limitations. A solution has been proposed in order to overcome the security issues faced in implementing this protocol whilst employing more than one base station. The performance of the proposed solution has been evaluated and simulated to provide a better network performance

Key management issues in wireless sensor networks : current proposals and future developments

Author name used in this publication: Henry C. B. Chan2007-2008 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe