Intrusion Detection for eliminating Security Issues in Wireless Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss security issues and their current solutions in the mobile ad hoc network. Ad hoc networks are a new wireless network for mobile hosts. As the need for innovative and efficient means of information exchange, wireless networks are increasingly being used to address these demands with limited costs to infrastructure requirements. Unlike traditional mobile wireless networks, ad hoc networks do not rely on any fixed infrastructure. Instead, hosts rely on each other to keep the network connected. While the routing aspects of mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) are already well understood, the research activities about security in MANETs are still at their beginning. The military aspects and other security-sensitive operations are still using ad hoc networks, although there is a trend to adopt ad hoc networks for commercial uses due to their unique properties. The strength of its infrastructure (wireless nature) also becomes the point of its greatest vulnerability. Thus decreasing the confidence level of the system as it pertains to availability, reliability, data integrity and privacy concerns. Wireless networks indeed are an effective means of communication for a variety of platforms. Also MANETs pose a number of new security problems in addition to the problems of regular networks. In addition to the classical security threats we identified additional ways how nodes may attack security in an Ad hoc network. Finally we outline a security architecture that provides substantial security services for Ad hoc networks. Due to the nature of the wireless media, ad-hoc wireless networks are vulnerable to various attacks. There are security protocols that prevent unauthorized nodes from accessing the network through authentication. Secrecy of information is provided through encryption. However these protocols cannot detect if any member of the network degrades the network performance due to misbehavior. Therefore an intrusion detection system (IDS) is required that monitors what is going on in the network, detects misbehavior or anomalies based on the monitored information and notifies other nodes in the network to take necessary steps such as to avoid or punish the misbehaving nodes. Keywords— MANET (Mobile Ad Hoc Network) SPREAD, Impersonation, Intrusion, IDS Agent, Ad Hoc, DSR