Jamming in underwater sensor networks: detection and mitigation

TLDR

Underwater sensor networks operate in challenging acoustic environments, and existing jamming detection methods are mainly terrestrial, leaving a gap for underwater contexts. The authors aim to address jamming in UWSNs, a common denial‑of‑service attack. They propose the underwater jamming detection protocol (UWJDP) to detect and mitigate jamming in underwater environments. Their results show that when packet delivery ratio is 0.8 or lower, detection probability is maximized, and the detection ratio improves by 2–11%.

Abstract

Underwater sensor networks (UWSNs) can be deployed for sensing the environment in oceanographic columns and other water bodies in which they are deployed. The peculiar characteristic of the underwater medium, coupled with the queer nature of the sound waves in water, poses an enigmatic problem for UWSN researchers. In this study, the authors focus on the problem of UWSN jamming, which is a popular type of denial-of-service attack. The existing jamming detection solutions for sensor networks are primarily targeted towards the terrestrial ones. In this work, the authors study the unique characteristics of jamming in UWSN, and propose a protocol, known as underwater jamming detection protocol (UWJDP), to detect and mitigate jamming in underwater environments. The results show that if the packet delivery ratio (PDR) is less than or equal to 0.8, the authors have the maximum probability of detecting jamming. The jamming detection ratio is around 2–11% more for the said PDR.