Ad Hoc Networks
Security

Security issue is another important aspect concerning ad hoc networks since there is no security infrastructure. The attacks against ad hoc network can be categorized into two groups: passive and active. While the former typically involves “passive” eavesdropping, the latter one causes “active” attacks, such as modification or even deletion of exchanged data. The most common attacks in ad hoc networks are summarized below:

The communication could be considered secured if the following is ensured:

Conventional methods for securing communication in network are through symmetric or asymmetric cryptographic keys. The asymmetric methods require a certification, which is difficult to employ in networks with lack of infrastructure such as ad hoc. Nevertheless, to guarantee safe certification process in ad hoc networks, Technique for Intrusion Resistant Ad Hoc routing algorithm (TIARA) has been proposed. Also, several secure routing protocols have been introduced to avoid most dangerous routing attacks, such as SRP (Secure Routing Protocol) based on the DST, or SAODV (Secure AODV).