Secure routing in wireless sensor networks: attacks and countermeasures

TLDR

Wireless sensor network routing protocols exist, but none were designed with security in mind. The authors aim to define routing security goals, adapt known attacks to sensor networks, introduce sinkhole and HELLO flood attacks, and evaluate major routing protocols. They analyze the security of all major sensor network routing protocols. They identify crippling attacks on all protocols and propose countermeasures and design considerations, marking the first comprehensive analysis of secure routing in sensor networks.

Abstract

We consider routing security in wireless sensor networks. Many sensor network routing protocols have been proposed, but none of them have been designed with security as a goal. We propose security goals for routing in sensor networks, show how attacks against ad-hoc and peer-to-peer networks can be adapted into powerful attacks against sensor networks, introduce two classes of novel attacks against sensor networks sinkholes and HELLO floods, and analyze the security of all the major sensor network routing protocols. We describe crippling attacks against all of them and suggest countermeasures and design considerations. This is the first such analysis of secure routing in sensor networks.