Layer-Based Security Issues in

Wireless Sensor Networks

By,
Ajay Philip Sabu

Outline

Introduction

Overview of Security Issues:

Attacks and Attackers

Security Principles

Types of Layering based attacks:

o

Physical Layer attacks

Data Link Layer attacks

Network Layer attacks

Transport Layer Attacks

Conclusion

Introduction

Definition:
o

Set of wireless sensors linked by Radio Frequency communication links

Gathers data and send to gateway for processing

Limitations:
o

Power limitations

Computational limitations

Storage limitations

Susceptible nature of Radio Frequencies

Overview of Security Issues

Passive attack:
o

Focus on weak communication links.

Active attack
o

Add, delete or alter any transmission channels

Insider

Outsider

Mote-class attacker
o

Target the nodes, similar capabilities.

Laptop class attacker

o

Attackers with powerful devices

Can target gateways and end devices.

Physical Layer Attacks

Focuses on Physical components Nodes, RF frequencies, Repeaters.

Types of attacks:
Jamming
o

Interference to Nodal communication

Done by sequential transmit of unnecessary data

Works if single channel is used

Effects of jamming

Energy loss

Blocked reception

Physical Layer Attacks

Sybil Attack
Use

of forged identities to access network

Attacker
Two

use one or many identities- known as Sybil Nodes

ways:

Attacker destroy one legitimate node and takes its identity

Attacker create new identity

Attacker

may deploy Sybil nodes simultaneously or not

Uses:
o

Send false data

Acquire data from other nodes

Send false positives to destroy other nodes

Physical Layer Attacks

Tampering
o

Physically damage sensor nodes

Blocks its communication

Alters the sent data

Interference
o

Similar to Jamming

Sent interference patterns

Provides noise or null values to the receptors

Can be disguised as natural interferences

Physical Layer threats and countermeasures

Threat

Counter-measures

Interference

Channel hopping and Blacklisting

Jamming

Channel hopping and Blacklisting

Sybil

Protection and Changing of key

Tampering

Physical protection of devices

Data Link Layer Attacks

DLL handles data transmission between adjacent Nodes

Types of attacks:
o

Collision

Attacker send messages to cause collision

Data may not reach the receiver node

Cause the need to retransmit

Leads to power loss, data failure and redundant data

Desynchronization

The nodes are synchronized to maintain efficient data transmission

Attacker desynchronize clocks

Legitimate data is not received

Acknowledgements are not handled

Legitimate node is held account instead of attacker

Data Link Layer Attacks

Eavesdropping
o

Passive form of attacking

Attacker node inserts itself in between communication

Replay attack- data is acquired and retransmitted

Man in the middle attack- received data is modified and retransmitted later

Hard to detect

Sybil attack
o

Attacker node communicating with legitimate nodes

Denial of information

False data transmission

Data Link Layer threats and countermeasures

Threats

Counter-measures

Collision

CRC and Time Diversity

Desynchronization

Using neighbors for time

synchronization

Eavesdropping

Encrypted communication

Sybil attack

Regular changing of key

Network Layer Attacks

Denial of Service attacks

o

Attacker Node refuse to route data for a period of time

After continued refusal, the node is black listed

All communications requiring blacklisted node is affected

One part of network is affected

Selective Forwarding
o

Attacker inspect each packet and only some are forwarded

Other packets are destroyed or held by the attacker

Sensible and crucial data (Session key, Public key) is affected

Network Layer Attacks

Wormhole attack
o

Data is acquired and tunneled to another device

The device modifies data and send back to the intended receiver in
network

Network Layer Attacks

Wormhole attack (continued)

o

Passive method of attack

Tunnel can be wired or wireless

Provides more power to the attacker

More destructive in terms of efficiency

Cannot be easily detected

Sybil Attack
o

Disguised introduction of Attacker router to network

Data is routed internally and also externally to an intruder

Data can be routed to wrong recipient.

Network Layer threats and countermeasures

Threats

Counter-measures

DoS

Physical protection and inspection,

Network specific data link network ID

Selective forwarding

Regular network monitoring using

Source routing

Wormhole

Physical network monitoring and

source routing

Transport Layer Attacks

Flooding
o

Over loading nodes with requests

Resource constraints leads to possible destruction of the node

Leads to Denial of Service, where legitimate nodes are not served

Flooding cause memory exhaustion, power loss, overloading.

Summary

Challenges in Wireless Sensor Networking:

Routing

Quality of Service

Energy efficiency

Security

Multicasting

Existing counter-measures only provide basic protection form threats

Implementation of more complex mechanisms require more

processing power and resources.

References
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Questions ?