Impact Analysis of Security Attacks on Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs)

Baird, Iain; Wadhaj, Isam; Ghaleb, Baraq; Thomson, Craig

Abstract

Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) offer a decentralized communication solution ideal for infrastructure-less environments like disaster relief zones. However, their inherent lack of central control and dynamic topology make them vulnerable to attacks. This paper examines the impact of various attacks on mobile nodes within two network types: randomly and uniformly distributed stationary networks. Four types of attacks are investigated: delay, dropping, sinkhole (alone), and a combined black hole attack (dropping + sinkhole). The effects of these attacks are compared using the packet delivery ratio, throughput, and end-to-end delay. The evaluation results show that all single attacks negatively impacted network performance, with the random network experiencing the most significant degradation. Interestingly, the combined black hole attack, while more disruptive than any single attack, affected the uniformly distributed network more severely than the random network.

Citation

Baird, I., Wadhaj, I., Ghaleb, B., & Thomson, C. (2024). Impact Analysis of Security Attacks on Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs). Electronics, 13(16), Article 3314. https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13163314

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 16, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Aug 21, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024
• Deposit Date: Sep 2, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 2, 2024
• Journal: Electronics
• Electronic ISSN: 2079-9292
• Publisher: MDPI
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 13
• Issue: 16
• Article Number: 3314
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13163314
• Keywords: MANET; delay attack; dropping attack; sinkhole attack