Securing Wireless Ad-Hoc Network Over Black Hole Attack Using Light Weight Approach

Abstract

Wireless Ad hoc Networks (WANETs) have gained significant attention due to their versatility in various applications. However, the susceptibility of WANETs to security threats, particularly Black hole attacks, has become a pressing concern. Black hole attacks disrupt network stability and efficiency by maliciously discarding all incoming packets. Addressing this issue is crucial for the robust operation of WANETs. This study introduces a novel lightweight technique designed to detect and identify Black hole attacks within the context of the Ad hoc On-Demand Distance Vector (AODV) protocol. The absence of a mechanism to detect and neutralize Black hole nodes in traditional routing protocols makes them vulnerable to such active attacks. In our proposed method, we integrate a new detection mechanism into the AODV protocol, allowing nodes in W ANETs to dynamically identify and isolate Black hole nodes in the network. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed technique, we implemented it using a Java simulation app. Our results indicate that the introduced method seamlessly integrates with the AODV protocol, demonstrating negligible differences in terms of processing power, end-to-end delay, and packet delivery ratio compared to the native AODV. This lightweight approach enhances the security posture of WANETs by providing an efficient means to detect and mitigate Black hole attacks without imposing significant overhead on the network. This research contributes to the ongoing efforts to secure wireless Ad-hoc networks, offering a practical and effective solution to bolster the resilience of AODV against Black hole attacks.