Identifying the impacts of node mobility on network layer based active and passive attacks in mobile ad hoc networks: a simulation perspective

Abstract

Ad hoc On-demand Distance Vector Routing (AODV) is a routing protocol that is used in Mobile Ad hoc Network (MANET). Pure AODV protocol is failed to handle the security. In this research, we try to find the answers for the following research questions to upgrade AODV protocol in security concern. I). Does node mobility in a MANET impact the behavior of a malicious node? II). Is node mobility need to be considered when designing appropriate security countermeasures? We used Network Simulator 2 (NS2) for simulations and AODV as routing protocol. Blackhole and Grayhole attacks are selected to study the network layer based Active attacks and Wormhole attack is used for Passive attack. We observed the impacts of each attacks by changing the speed of nodes and the numbers of connected node in the network. We changed the directions of node mobility randomly during the simulation. Though node speed is constant for all nodes. Number of nodes and nodes speed are changed to collect more accurate results. We compared the performances of each network with a controller. Few Performance Matrices (PM) (Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR), End to End Delay (EED) and Throughput) are used to evaluate the network performances. Mobile nodes degrade the network performances. Node mobility either leads to break the links between nodes nor to create new links. Therefore it creates an opportunity to break the link with malicious node. We can screen the malicious node at routing if a routing protocol is equipped with an initial screening mechanism for malicious nodes.