Detection and Defense Mechanism against Security Attacks in Reconfigurable Networks: Network Coding Approach

This document is a research work of a Doctorate in Information Technology and Communications of ITESM, in the field of examination environment, network coding applied to securing wireless reconfigurable networks under some physical impairments from several attacks. Wireless reconfigurable networks are prone to several routing security attacks such as sink holes, selective forwarding, black holes, wormholes and so on. Conventional security algorithms are processing expensive and vulnerable to central unit compromising. Network processing may provide several advantages in the implementation of distributed collaborative securing method for reconfigurable networks subject to security attacks. In this research work, we introduce a network coding method that detects security attacks related the routing process. The proposed method works on a distributed fashion performing linear network coding over nodes composing a given route. The proposed methodology uses network coding not only to distribute content, but also to provide data confidentiality by cooperation as a mechanism of detection. The method provides a robust response for varying network conditions, such as large node density, high interference, and route failure due to Rayleigh channel fading. In this research work, we introduce an interference analysis of the proposed security method caused by the nearest neighbor to the route. We also introduce an outage probability analysis due to link failures in routes caused by a Rayleigh fading channel. The detection capabilities of the network coding based detection and defense method are analyzed under both impairments. The security method is faced to different attack probabilities, several network densities and transmission ranges, where parameters like packet overhead and successfully received packet as well as the detection accuracy of the method are analyzed throughout simulations. Finally, we provide an algebraic representation of a network implementing the proposed security method and formulate the sufficient conditions for feasibility of routes commanding the method. Also an alternative criterion for route selection is formulated in basis of the algebraic representation