A Framework for Defending against Node Compromises in Distributed Sensor Networks
PI: Sencun Zhu (szhu@cse.psu.edu), Co-PI: Guohong Cao (gcao@cse.psu.edu)
Securing wireless sensor networks is a significant challenge because of network scale, highly constrained system resources, and the fact that sensor networks are often deployed in unattended and hostile environments. The objective of this project is to develop a framework for defending against node compromises in unattended sensor networks. The framework consists of a suite of security mechanisms spanning three phases: prevention, detection, and reaction. This research seeks to provide fundamental security services covering key management, authentication, compromise detection, and revocation. These services are essential for the successful deployment of sensor networks. In addition, the research seeks solutions that are designed and implemented in a distributed manner, where no central authority is involved. This distributed property is critical for unattended sensor networks deployed in adversarial environments, because a central authority is a single point of failure from both security and performance perspectives. The success of this project will have broad impact, making sensor networks more trustworthy and amenable to commercial, civilian, and military applications. The results of the project are disseminated through publications and talks, and the research is integrated into the computer science and engineering curriculum at Penn State.
