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Selective forwarding Attack in wireless Sensor Network

A selective forwarding attack is a type of security attack that can occur in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). In this attack, a malicious node in the network selectively forwards some data packets to the base station while dropping others, with the goal of compromising the integrity and availability of the network.

The attacker can use various techniques to carry out a selective forwarding attack. One approach is to compromise a few nodes in the network and use them to drop certain packets selectively. Another technique involves the attacker exploiting a vulnerability in the communication protocol used in the network to intercept and drop specific packets.

The consequences of a selective forwarding attack can be severe, leading to loss of data, degradation of network performance, and even network failure. Therefore, it is essential to take measures to prevent such attacks in WSNs.

One approach to preventing selective forwarding attacks is to use secure communication protocols that employ authentication and encryption techniques to prevent unauthorized access and tampering of data. Another approach is to use intrusion detection and prevention systems to monitor network activity and identify and prevent malicious behavior.

In addition to these technical measures, it is also essential to educate users and administrators about the risks of selective forwarding attacks and the best practices for mitigating them. Regular security audits and updates to software and hardware can also help prevent these types of attacks.

In this type of network attack, malicious nodes turn down the request of facilitating some packets of information and makes sure that they are not passed on any further. The adversary may drop packets selectively or randomly. The attacker tries to corrupt the network with respect to packet loss rate. The 2 ways in which the attacker may attack the network are:

  1. Insider Attack: The authentication of the authorized sensor nodes might be compromised or the adversary might steal some key or information from the nodes and attack the whole network. It becomes difficult to detect such an attack.
  2. Outsider Attack: By jamming the routing path between legitimate nodes.

There are various types of selective forwarding attack:

Detection and Prevention schemes are categorized either on the basis of scheme or on basis of defense of scheme: I. On the basis of nature of scheme, it is divided into 2 sub-parts:

II. On the basis of defense of scheme, they are divided into following 2 parts:

Various Schemes to Counteract such Attacks:

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Application of selective forwarding attack in a wireless sensor network :

The application of a selective forwarding attack in a wireless sensor network can have various implications, including:

1.Disruption of organization correspondence: A particular sending assault can disturb the correspondence between hubs in a remote sensor organization. The assault can create setbacks, information misfortune, and diminished network execution, which can be hindering in applications where ongoing information is basic.

2.Targeted information control: Assailants can utilize specific sending assaults to specifically control information. For instance, an aggressor could decrease all temperature information from a specific sensor hub to cause it to seem like the temperature is steady, in any event, when it isn’t.

3.Network disappointment: In serious cases, specific sending assaults can cause the remote sensor organization to completely fizzle. This can happen when aggressors specifically drop or defer basic control messages, prompting network unsteadiness and disappointment.

4.Security breaks: A particular sending assault can likewise think twice about security of a remote sensor organization. Aggressors can utilize this assault to get delicate data, for example, passwords or encryption keys, which can be utilized to send off additional assaults on the organization.

Advantages:

Targeted attacks: Selective forwarding attacks can be targeted towards specific data packets or nodes, making them a more effective way to disrupt the network compared to random attacks.

Difficult to detect: Selective forwarding attacks can be difficult to detect because the compromised node can forward some packets while discarding others, making it appear as if the network is functioning normally.

Efficient use of resources: Selective forwarding attacks can be used to conserve resources by allowing only important data packets to pass through the network while discarding unnecessary ones.

Disadvantages:

Data loss: Selective forwarding attacks can result in the loss of important data packets, affecting the reliability and accuracy of the network.

Network congestion: Selective forwarding attacks can cause network congestion by discarding some data packets while allowing others to pass through, leading to network delays and increased traffic.

Reduced network lifetime: Selective forwarding attacks can reduce the network lifetime by causing some nodes to consume more energy than others, leading to premature battery depletion and network failure.

Security vulnerabilities: Selective forwarding attacks can compromise the security of the network by allowing unauthorized access to sensitive data.

Impact on network performance: Selective forwarding attacks can impact the performance of the network by disrupting the flow of data and causing delays, which can affect the overall network throughput.


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