In this article, we propose to use game theory to model our WSN network. In this setting, the goal of the compromised node is to keep disrupting the network while remaining alive. The game studied is a two-player quantitative infinite game on a finite graph, where each transition can change some energy levels and some reward. The goal of the compromised node is hence to maximize its reward while maintaining a positive energy level. On the theoretical side, we show that solving these games is not algorithmically possible if the objective is too complex. We can however provide solutions in some restricted cases. The ultimate purpose is to demonstrate that, with the presented detection solution, a compromised node cannot "win the game", and hence either gets detected, dies, or behaves as an normal (sane) node would.

Summary The use of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) has increased rapidly over the last years. Due to their low resources, sensors come along with new issues regarding network security and energy consumption. Focusing on the network availability, previous studies proposed to protect clustered network against denial of service attacks with the use of traffic monitoring agents on some nodes. Those control nodes have to analyze the traffic inside a cluster and to send warnings to the cluster head whenever an abnormal behavior (e.g., high packets throughput or non‐retransmission of packets) is detected. But if the control nodes ( cNodes ) die out of exhaustion, they leave the network unprotected. To better fight against attacks, we try to enhance this solution by renewing periodically the election process. Furthermore, we propose three energy‐aware and secure methods to designate the cNodes in a hierarchically clustered WSN. The first one is a simple self‐election process where nodes randomly designate themselves. It leads to a better load balancing than a static method (i.e., with no renewal), but we argue that we can obtain better results by considering the remaining energy of the nodes at cNodes selection time. Hence, the second algorithm is purely based on the residual energy of the sensors. We discuss limitations of this deterministic process concerning security and cluster coverage and suggest workarounds. These improvements lead us to the third mechanism. It is based on residual energy too, but it includes a democratic election process in which nodes in the cluster vote to optimize the cNode role attribution. Results obtained from simulation experiments with the ns‐2 tool are provided to analyze the energy repartition in the network and to compare the three selection algorithms. All experimental outcomes show improvements of the load balancing in the network, while maintaining good detection coverage, in regard to static selection. Furthermore, the analysis of the respective performances of the three mechanisms is used as a basis to establish recommendations regarding the use cases of those methods. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The use of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) has increased rapidly over the last years. Due to their low resources, sensors come along with new issues regarding network security and energy consumption. Focusing on the network availability, previous studies proposed to protect clustered network against denial of service attacks with the use of traffic monitoring agents on some nodes. Those control nodes have to analyze the traffic inside a cluster and to send warnings to the cluster-head whenever an abnormal behavior (i.e. high packets throughput) is detected. But if the control nodes (cNodes) die out of exhaustion, they leave the network unprotected. To better fight against attacks, we try to enhance this solution by renewing periodically the election process. Furthermore, we propose two energy-aware and secure methods to designate the cNodes in a hierarchically clustered WSN. The first one is a self-election process where nodes randomly designate themselves. We analyze the trade-offs between static and dynamic solutions by means of two complementary approaches: through simulation with the ns-2 simulation platform and by means of statistical model checking with the Hybrid Automata Stochastic Logic. The second algorithm for choosing cNodes is purely based on the residual energy of the sensors. We discuss limitations of this deterministic process concerning security and cluster coverage, and suggest workarounds. Again, experimental results from simulation experiments are provided to analyze the energy repartition in the network. All experimental outcomes show improvements of the load balancing in the network, while maintaining good detection coverage.

Over the last decade, the level of critical infrastructure technology has been steadily transforming in order to keep pace with the growing demand for the services offered. The implementation of the smart grid, which relies on a complex and intelligent level of interconnectivity, is one example of how vital amenity provision is being refined. However, with this change, the risk of threats from the digital domain must be calculated. Superior interconnectivity between infrastructures means that the future cascading impacts of successful cyber-attacks are unknown. One such threat being faced in the digital domain is the Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. A DDoS has the goal of incapacitating a server, network or service, by barraging a target with external data traffic in the form of communication requests. DDoS have the potential to cause a critical infrastructure outage, and the subsequent impact on a network of such infrastructures is yet unknown. In this paper, an approach for assessing the future impacts of a cyber-attack in a network of critical infrastructures is presented, with a focus on DDoS attacks. A simulation of a critical infrastructure network provides data to represent both normal run-time and an attack scenario. Using this dataset, a technique for assessing the future impact of disruptions on integrated critical infrastructure network, is demonstrated.

Composes d'appareils fortement limites en ressources (puissance de calcul, memoire et energie disponible) et qui communiquent par voie hertzienne, les reseaux de capteurs sans fil composent avec leurs faibles capacites pour deployer une architecture de communication de maniere autonome, collecter des donnees sur leur environnement et les faire remonter jusqu'a l'utilisateur. Des « transports intelligents » a la surveillance du taux de pollution environnemental, en passant par la detection d'incendies ou encore l'« Internet des objets », ces reseaux sont aujourd'hui utilises dans une multitude d'applications. Certaines d'entre elles, de nature medicale ou militaire par exemple, ont de fortes exigences en matiere de securite. Les travaux de cette these se concentrent sur la protection contre les attaques dites par « deni de service », qui visent a perturber le fonctionnement normal du reseau. Ils sont bases sur l'utilisation de capteurs de surveillance, qui sont periodiquement renouveles pour repartir la consommation en energie. De nouveaux mecanismes sont introduits pour etablir un processus de selection efficace de ces capteurs, en optimisant la simplicite de deploiement (selection aleatoire), la repartition de la charge energetique (selection selon l'energie residuelle) ou encore la securite du reseau (election democratique basee sur un score de reputation). Sont egalement fournis differents outils pour modeliser les systemes obtenus sous forme de chaines de Markov a temps continu, de reseaux de Petri stochastiques (reutilisables pour des operations de model checking) ou encore de jeux quantitatifs

The use of sensor networks has increased rapidly over the last years. Due to their low resources, sensors come along with new issues regarding network security and energy consumption. Focusing on the network availability, previous studies proposed to protect the network against denial of service attacks with the use of traffic monitoring agents on some nodes. But if the control nodes go down or get compromised, they leave the network unprotected. To better fight against attacks, we try to enhance this solution by introducing an energy-aware and secure method to select these monitoring nodes (called cNodes) in a clustered wireless sensor network. Our election process is done in accordance to their remaining reserves: nodes with the higher residual energy are selected. We discuss limitations of this deterministic process concerning security and cluster coverage, and suggest as a workaround to designate new control nodes (called vNodes). Those vNodes are responsible for monitoring the cNodes by periodically enquiring about their remaining energy and ensuring that they do not lie during the election process (in attempt to keep their cNode role). Finally, we present some experimental results obtained with the ns-3 simulator in order to analyze the impact of our proposal on the energy repartition in the network.

In this era of big data, of quantified self and of smart cities, wireless sensor networks are meant to be used every day, for all sort of applications. Made of tiny sensors, they collect data and communicate through wireless technologies. Because they may take part in sensitive or military applications, security is an essential matter in such networks. Confidentiality and authenticity can be ensured by the use of dedicated mechanisms. Focusing on availability, we propose here a new practical approach to protect the network against denial of service attacks thanks to the use of traffic monitoring agents called cNodes. The approach uses a fair election process of cNodes in accordance with classical criteria related to residual energies and the presence of compromised nodes which may have greedy or jamming behaviors. Results obtained from simulations show that this method is effective both in terms of detection and of energy conservation.

Sensor networks have been increasingly deployed for civil and military applications over the last years. Due to their low resources, sensors come along with new issues regarding network security and energy consumption. Focusing on the network availability, previous studies proposed to protect the network against denial of service attacks with the use of traffic monitoring agents. Working on the election process, we try to enhance this solution by introducing an energy-aware and secure method to dynamically select these “cNodes” in a clustered WSN: nodes with the higher residual energy get elected. We discuss limitations of this deterministic selection and suggest to designate new control nodes, “vNodes”, to monitor the cNodes by periodically enquiring about their remaining energy, thus ensuring that they do not lie during the election process in attempt to keep their role. Validation is first carried out with a formal specification of our proposal using the UPPAAL model-checker. We model nodes by means of communicating timed automata, logical clocks and timing constraints. Through Computation Tree Logic we express and check properties for the election processes, related to energy and presence of greedy or jamming nodes.

Used in areas such as pollution measurement or data gathering over battlefields, wireless sensor networks have attracted more and more attention over the last years. The deployment of such a network is accompanied by several security issues, including data confidentiality. Robust encryption algorithms addressed to network communication exist, but they do not always match the low resources restrictions - low processor, memory, limited energy - set upon the sensors. To overcome this, other, simpler solutions have been proposed, such as the Securing Data based on Multi-Path routing method, or an application of the Shamir's Secret Sharing Scheme, which both use distinct paths in the network to send pieces of data obtained by splitting the original message. This paper addresses the two methods named above, and proposes a solution based on traffic classification, using alternatively the Securing Data based on Multi-Path routing method, the Shamir's Secret Sharing Scheme, and strong encryption algorithms.

ABSTRACT Detecting denial‐of‐service (DoS) attacks and reducing the energy consumption are two important and frequent requirements in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). In this paper, we propose an energy‐preserving solution to detect compromised nodes in hierarchically clustered WSNs. DoS detection is based on using dedicated inspector nodes (cNodes) whose role is to analyze the traffic inside a cluster and to send warnings to the cluster head whenever an abnormal behavior (i.e., high packets throughput) is detected. With previously introduced DoS detection schema, cNodes are statically displaced in strategic positions within the network topology. This guarantees good detection coverage but leads to quickly draining cNodes battery. In this paper, we propose a dynamic cNodes displacement schema according to which cNodes are periodically elected among ordinary nodes of each atomic cluster. Such a solution results in a better energy balance while maintaining good detection coverage. We analyze the tradeoffs between static and dynamic solutions by means of two complementary approaches: through simulation with the NS‐2 simulation platform and by means of statistical model checking with the Hybrid Automata Stochastic Logic. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Pasquale Ardimento Alexandre Bergel Mario L. Bernardi Thierry Bodhuin Nicola Boffoli Cathal Boogerd Magiel Bruntink Andrew Burn Marta Cimitile Sorana Cimpan Michael L. Collard Bas Cornelissen Thomas R. Dean Marcus Denker Vincenzo Deufemia Xinyi Dong Natalia Dragan Fausto Fasano Anna Rita Fasolino Michael Fischer Beat Fluri Rita Francese Bas Graaf Carmine Gravino Alan Grosskurth Abram Hindle Huzefa Kagdi Cory Kapser Patrick Knab Walid Koleilat Jay Kothari Marius Marin Ali Mesbah Rocco Oliveto Kai Pan Martin Pinzger Damien Pollet Denys Poshyvanyk Sukanya Ratanotayanon Chanchal Roy Giuseppe Scanniello Andrew Sutton Tom Tourwé Poerfirio Tramontana Zhenchang Xing Shehnaaz Yusuf Lijie Zou