On a new type of attack in wireless sensor networks: Depletion of battery

Abstract

As sensors based applications are deployed, security emerges as an essential requirement. One of the critical issues of wireless sensor technology is limited sensors resources including poor sensors batteries. It leads to sensor vulnerability for battery exhausting attacks. Besides, fast exhausting of sensor battery power is not only explained by intrusions. It can be explained by a random failure of embedded sensor protocols. Thus, most wireless sensors applications, without some tools to defend against rash battery exhausting, would be unable to function during prescribed time. In this paper, we consider a special type of threats, which harm is the depletion of sensor battery power. In contrast to traditional DoS attack, quality of service under the considered attack is not necessary degraded. Moreover, the quality of service can be increased up to the crash moment of sensors set. Hence, the application of traditional defense mechanism against this threat is not always possible. Therefore, effective methods should be developed to counter the threat. We first discuss feasibility of rash depletion of battery power. Next, we propose a model for evaluation of energy consumption under the attack. And counteracting technique against the attack is discussed as well.