Security for Wireless Sensor Networks Configuration Aid

The range of application scenarios for which WSN technology is suitable implies a number of responsibilities. One of the most important responsibilities for researchers and designers has been the establishment of a means to secure both the network and the information sensed and disseminated within. In many cases the security of the application is vital to its successful deployment and usefulness. In order to understand what is necessary to properly secure a WSN implementation, all of the known threats to such a network must be identified and addressed. The stability and effectiveness of a WSN can be adversely affected through a number of attacks other than merely eavesdropping. There are also a number of various points at which an adversary can attempt to attack a network; such as at varying layers in the protocol stack. It is therefore necessary to consider all of the various attacks to which WSN's are susceptible. These attacks can be broadly classified as attacks against the privacy of network data, denial-of-service (DOS), impersonation or replication attacks, routing attacks and physical attacks. The prevention of such attacks depends largely on the correct implementation/configuration of security protocols within the network itself. This configuration is a non-trivial task which can involve intensive knowledge of both security and WSN's, which the user may not have. What the user does know however is how the network is used in the application and what data it carries. The decisions made to configure the necessary security can be constrained by the aforementioned user's knowledge of the application space. Therefore by identifying a set of controlling parameters it should be possible to automate the security configuration process through the use of a configuration tool.