Investigation of security-related routing issues in IoT Networks

Abstract

The rapid growth of Internet of Things (IoT) networks has brought significant advancements in sectors such as healthcare, smart homes, and industrial automation. However, this expansion also presents critical security challenges, particularly at the network layer. This research focuses on two significant attacks, namely blackhole and wormhole attacks, that disrupt routing in IoT networks, leading to packet loss, and reduced throughput. In blackhole attacks, malicious nodes falsely claim the best route, only to drop all received packets, causing severe packet loss and reduced packet delivery ratio. Wormhole attacks, on the other hand, create deceptive shortcuts by establishing a tunnel between colluding nodes, misleading the routing protocol. The study proposes enhancements to existing routing protocols, specifically the Ad hoc On-demand Multipath Distance Vector and Intrusion Detection System AODV protocols, aiming to detect and mitigate these attacks effectively. By leveraging multipath routing and anomaly detection techniques, the modified protocols improve the resilience of IoT networks. Key performance metrics such as packet delivery ratio, throughput, and packet loss were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed solutions. Simulation experiments conducted using NS-2.35 demonstrate that the enhanced protocols significantly improve network performance in the presence of both blackhole and wormhole attacks. The results show a substantial improvement in packet delivery ratio and throughput, indicating successful detection and mitigation of malicious activities, thereby ensuring secure and reliable communication in IoT networks.