Behavioural Modelling of WSN MAC Layer Security Attacks: A Sequential UML Approach

Authors

  • Pranav M. Pawar Center for TeleInFrastruktur, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
  • Rasmus H. Nielsen Center for TeleInFrastruktur, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
  • Neeli R. Prasad Center for TeleInFrastruktur, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
  • Shingo Ohmori Center for TeleInFrastruktur, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
  • Ramjee Prasad Center for TeleInFrastruktur, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13052/jcsm2245-1439.115

Keywords:

wireless sensor networks (WSNs), media access control (MAC), unified modelling language (UML), security and attacks

Abstract

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are growing enormously and becoming increasingly attractive for a variety of application areas such as tele-health monitoring, industry monitoring, home automation and many more. The primary weakness shared by all wireless application and technologies is the vulnerability to security attacks/threats. The performance and behaviour of a WSN are vastly affected by such attacks. In order to be able to better address the vulnerabilities of WSNs in terms of security, it is important to understand the behaviour of the attacks. This paper addresses the behavioural modelling of medium access control (MAC) security attacks in WSNs. The MAC layer is responsible for energy consumption, delay and channel utilization of the network and attacks on this layer can introduce significant degradation of the individual sensor nodes due to energy drain and in performance due to delays. The behavioural modelling of attacks will be beneficial for designing efficient and secureMAClayer protocols. The security attacks are modelled using a sequential diagram approach of Unified Modelling Language (UML). Further, a new attack definition, specific to hybrid MAC mechanisms, is proposed.

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Author Biographies

Pranav M. Pawar, Center for TeleInFrastruktur, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark

Pranav M. Pawar graduated in Computer Engineering from Dr. BabasahebAmbedkar Technological University, Maharashtra, India, in 2005 and received Master in Computer Engineering from Pune Universiry, in 2007. From 2006 to 2007, was working as System Executive in POS-IPC, Pune, India. From Jan 2008, he is working as an Assistant Professor in Department of Information Technology, STES’s Smt. KashibaiNavale College of Engineering, Pune. Currently he is working towards his Ph.D. in Wireless Communication from Aalborg University, Denmark. He published 17 papers at national and international level. He is IBM DB2 and IBM RAD certified professional. His research interests are Energy efficient MAC for WSN, QoS in WSN, wireless security, green technology, computer architecture, database management system and bioinformatics.

Rasmus H. Nielsen, Center for TeleInFrastruktur, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark

Rasmus Hjorth Nielsen is an assistant professor at Center for TeleInFrastruktur (CTIF) at Aalborg University (AAU), Denmark and is currently working as a senior researcher at CTIF-USA, Princeton, USA. He received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Aalborg University in 2005 and 2009 respectively. He has been working on a number of EU- and industrial funded projects primarily within the field of next generation networks where his focus is currently security and performance optimization. He has a strong background in operational research and optimization in general and has applied this as a consultant within planning of large-scale networks. His research interests include IoT, WSNs, virtualization and other topics related to next generation converged wired and wireless networks.

Neeli R. Prasad, Center for TeleInFrastruktur, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark

Neeli Rashmi Prasad, Ph.D., IEEE Senior Member, Head of Research and Coordinator of Themantic area Network without Borders, Center for TeleInfrastruktur (CTIF), Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark. Director of CTIF-USA, Princeton, USA and leading IoT Testbed at Easy Life Lab and Secure Cognitive radio network testbed at S-Cogito Lab. She received her Ph.D. from University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy, in the field of “adaptive security for wireless heterogeneous networks” in 2004 and M.Sc. (Ir.) degree in Electrical Engineering from Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands, in the field of “Indoor Wireless Communications using Slotted ISMA Protocols” in 1997. During her industrial and academic career for over 14 years, she has lead and coordinated several projects. At present, She is leading a industry-funded projects on Security and Monitoring (STRONG) and on reliable self organizing networks REASON, Project Coordinator of European Commission (EC) CIP-PSP LIFE 2.0 for 65+ and social interaction and Integrated Project (IP) ASPIRE on RFID and Middleware and EC Network of Excellence CRUISE on Wireless Sensor Networks. She is co-caretaker of real world internet (RWI) at Future Internet. She has lead EC Cluster for Mesh and Sensor Networks and Counsellor of IEEE Student Branch, Aalborg. She is Aalborg University project leader for EC funded IST IP e-SENSE on Wireless Sensor Networks and NI2S3 on Homeland and Airport security and ISISEMD on telehealth care. She is also part of the EC SMART Cities workgroup portfolio. She joined Libertel (now Vodafone NL), Maastricht, The Netherlands as a Radio Engineer in 1997. From November 1998 till May 2001, she worked as Systems Architect for Wireless LANs in Wireless Communications and Networking Division of Lucent Technologies, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands. From June 2001 to July 2003, she was with T-Mobile Netherlands, The Hague, The Netherlands as Senior Architect for Core Network Group. Subsequently, from July 2003 to April 2004, she was Senior Research Manager at PCOM:I3, Aalborg, Denmark. Her publications range from top journals, international conferences and chapters in books. She has also co-edited and co-authored two books titled “WLAN Systems and Wireless IP for Next Generation Communications” and “Wireless LANs and Wireless IP Security, Mobility, QoS and Mobile Network Integration”, published by Artech House, 2001 and 2005. Her research interests lie in the area of Security, Privacy and Trust, Management or Wireless and wired networks and Energy-efficient Routing.

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Published

2012-01-10

How to Cite

1.
Pawar PM, Nielsen RH, Prasad NR, Ohmori S, Prasad R. Behavioural Modelling of WSN MAC Layer Security Attacks: A Sequential UML Approach. JCSANDM [Internet]. 2012 Jan. 10 [cited 2024 Apr. 25];1(1):65-82. Available from: https://journals.riverpublishers.com/index.php/JCSANDM/article/view/6069

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