Analyzing the vulnerability of wireless sensor networks to a malicious matched protocol attack

dc.contributor.authorO'Mahony, George D.
dc.contributor.authorHarris, Philip J.
dc.contributor.authorMurphy, Colin C.
dc.date.accessioned2020-01-20T15:40:47Z
dc.date.available2020-01-20T15:40:47Z
dc.date.issued2018-10
dc.date.updated2020-01-20T15:26:12Z
dc.description.abstractSafety critical, Internet of Things (IoT) and space-based applications have recently begun to adopt wireless networks based on commercial off the shelf (COTS) devices and standardized protocols, which inherently establishes the security challenge of malicious intrusions. Malicious intrusions can cause severe consequences if undetected, including, complete denial of services. Particularly, any safety critical application requires all services to operate correctly, as any loss can be detrimental to safety and/or privacy. Therefore, in order for these safety critical services to remain operational and available, any and all intrusions need to be detected and mitigated. Whilst intrusion detection is not a new research area, new vulnerabilities in wireless networks, especially wireless sensor networks (WSNs), can be identified. In this paper, a specific vulnerability of WSNs is explored, termed here the matched protocol attack. This malicious attack uses protocol-specific structures to compromise a network using that protocol. Through attack exploration, this paper provides evidence that traditional spectral techniques are not sufficient to detect an intrusion using this style of attack. Furthermore, a ZigBee cluster head network, which co-exists with ISM band services, consisting of XBee COTS devices is utilized, along with a real time spectrum analyzer, to experimentally evaluate the effect of matched protocol interference on a realistic network model. Results of this evaluation are provided in terms of device errors and spectrum use. This malicious challenge is also examined through Monte-Carlo simulations. A potential detection technique, based on coarse inter-node distance measurements, which can theoretically be used to detect matched protocol interference and localize the origin of the source, is also suggested as a future progression of this work. Insights into how this attack style preys on some of the main security risks of any WSN (interoperability, device limitations and operation in hostile environments) are also provided.en
dc.description.statusPeer revieweden
dc.description.versionAccepted Versionen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.citationG. D. O' Mahony,P. J. Harris,C. C. Murphy (2018) Analyzing the Vulnerability of Wireless Sensor Networks to a Malicious Matched Protocol Attack 2018 International Carnahan Conference on Security Technology (ICCST) Montreal, QC, Canada, 22-25 October. doi: 10.1109/CCST.2018.8585681en
dc.identifier.doi10.1109/CCST.2018.8585681en
dc.identifier.endpage5en
dc.identifier.isbn978-1-5386-7931-9
dc.identifier.issn2153-0742
dc.identifier.startpage1en
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/9536
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)en
dc.relation.urihttps://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8585681
dc.rights© 2018 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.en
dc.subjectDistance measurementen
dc.subjectProtocolsen
dc.subjectTelecommunication securityen
dc.subjectWireless sensor networksen
dc.subjectZigbeeen
dc.subjectPotential detection techniqueen
dc.subjectMalicious challengeen
dc.subjectWSNen
dc.subjectSpectrum useen
dc.subjectDevice errorsen
dc.subjectRealistic network modelen
dc.subjectMatched protocol interferenceen
dc.subjectTime spectrum analyzeren
dc.subjectXBee COTS devicesen
dc.subjectISM band servicesen
dc.subjectZigBee cluster head networken
dc.subjectAttack explorationen
dc.subjectProtocol-specific structuresen
dc.subjectMalicious attacken
dc.subjectSpecific vulnerabilityen
dc.subjectIntrusion detectionen
dc.subjectSafety critical servicesen
dc.subjectSafety critical applicationen
dc.subjectMalicious intrusionsen
dc.subjectSecurity challengeen
dc.subjectStandardized protocolsen
dc.subjectShelf devicesen
dc.subjectWireless networksen
dc.subjectSpace-based applicationsen
dc.subjectMalicious matched protocol attacken
dc.subjectAttack style preysen
dc.subjectSecurityen
dc.subjectSafetyen
dc.subjectHardwareen
dc.subjectInterferenceen
dc.subjectAttacken
dc.subjectCo-existenceen
dc.subjectDetectionen
dc.subjectDistanceen
dc.subjectInter-Nodeen
dc.subjectIntrusionen
dc.subjectIoTen
dc.subjectInternet of Things (IoT)en
dc.subjectMatcheden
dc.subjectMitigationen
dc.subjectPHYen
dc.subjectProtocolen
dc.subjectSpaceen
dc.subjectSpectrumen
dc.subjectWSN and ZigBeeen
dc.titleAnalyzing the vulnerability of wireless sensor networks to a malicious matched protocol attacken
dc.typeConference itemen
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