Security Issues in Mobile Wireless Ad Hoc Networks

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to investigate and expose methods and techniques developed to provide security in wireless ad hoc networks. Researchers have proposed variety of solutions for security problems of Wireless Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks (MANET) against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. Due to the wireless nature of the channels and specific characteristics of MANETs, the attacks cannot be defeated through conventional security mechanisms. An adversary can easily override its medium access control protocol (MAC) and continually transfer packages on the network channel and the access point node(s) cannot assign authorization access to shared medium. These attacks cause a significant decrease on overall network throughput, packet transmission rates and delay in the MAC layer since other nodes back-off from the communication. In this chapter the proposed methods are applied for preventing and mitigating different wireless ad hoc network attacks are investigated and effectiveness and efficiency of these mechanisms are exposed.