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

Careers in the Growing Field of Information Technology Services

Computers and information technology (IT) touch nearly every aspect of modern life. Information technology can help with such diverse tasks as driving motor vehicles and diagnosing diseases. IT enables seamless integration and communication between businesses anywhere in the world. To keep IT systems running, a large workforce is needed to maintain networks, create new software, and ensure information security. In addition, the proliferation of smart phones has given rise to a new “app economy,” in which new employment opportunities are available for workers who create the programs that run on mobile devices.1 Unlike many other sectors of the economy, employment in the computer systems design and related services industry (commonly known as IT services) was not significantly affected by the recession of 2007–2009. The industry lost about 1 percent of its employment in 2009 but regained momentum in 2010, when it surpassed the employment numbers from 2008.2 The high demand for the services provided by this industry has created a large number of fast-growing and high-paying IT jobs