Modeling Framework for the Study and Analysis of Mobile Attack Propagation in Wireless Ad-Hoc Networks

Abstract:
Independent-operating attacks in modern communication networks have become increasingly popular, affecting significantly the performance of these networks and causing major systems to fail. In this paper, we introduce and design a modeling framework that allows for the study and analysis of mobile attack propagation in wireless ad-hoc networks. Specifically, we study probabilistically the propagation of a worm in a wireless ad-hoc network, in which an energy-constrained malicious node can move freely in the deployment region of the network. The choice of a statistical approach of the problem is motivated by the dynamic characteristics of the ad-hoc topology and the stochastic nature of the worm propagation. Through modeling and simulation, we studied and evaluated the impact of various parameters associated with the operational characteristics of the mobile attack node – such as transmission radius, mobility, energy – on an outbreak spreading and the evolution of the network, and obtained an in-depth understanding of the importance of these parameters both from the network’s and the attacker’s perspectives.