Security for Wireless Sensor Network
Introduction
Wireless Sensor Network proves to be particularly vulnerable to attacks within the modern information systems field. This vulnerability draws from the presence of various resources or devices with low battery power, minimal memory, and low energy. Sensor nodes initiate and execute communication among themselves through wireless links. Security remains one of the critical issues that relate to the topic of wireless networking systems. This is an indication that sensor networks are within the context of hostility in relation to the threats and attacks. The presence of environmental conditions proves to be the cause of the many types of threats and attacks that might influence the need for security. Wireless sensor networks refer to network system with minimal or small size, low battery power, and less complexity in its modification. These network systems operate as nodes that have the capacity to sense the environment and communicate the information collected from the monitored field via wireless links (Singh & Verma, 2011).
Sensor Network Communication Architecture
The sensor nodes operate within the sensor field in a scattered manner. The scattered nodes possess the capabilities of collecting data and transmitting data back to the sink and end users. The sink usually communicates to the task manager through the internet or satellite. The task manager represents the centralized area of the control within the network. This point of control plays a critical role in obtaining information from the network and disseminates or transmits the information back into the network. The task manager also operates as the gateway to other networks. It also functions as the data processing and storage centre and access point to human interface. Wireless sensor network applies laptop or workstation as the base station (Singh & Verma, 2011).
Applications of Wireless Sensor Networks
Wireless sensor networks are common in the modern society thus offers economic solution to numerous challenges and problems facing contemporary organizations. Some of the typical applications of the wireless sensor networks include: Military applications: it is applicable in the use of military cases to monitor or watch the statuses such as position, quantity, and availability of the troops, equipment, and surveillance of the battlefield. The systems also provide accurate information with reference to detection of biological and chemical attacks (Singh & Verma, 2011).
Environmental Applications: in this area, it evaluates the conditions of environment in connection with humidity, temperature, and pressure. It also facilitates the detection of disasters with reference to forest fire, flood, volcano, and other relevant activities as they occur. Health Applications: it is also applicable in the determination of attacks or conditions such hypertension, high blood pressure, and heart rates. Commercial Applications: it is also applicable in the detection of vehicles, warehouses, and buildings.
Scientific Application or Exploration: wireless sensor networks have the ability to operate under water and in other fields with the aim of delivering scientific explorations. Area Monitoring: in this field, it operates in the monitoring of phenomena within the area. Such phenomena include intrusion by enemies, heat, and pressure evaluation (Singh & Verma, 2011).
Security Requirement
Security requirement focuses on four areas: authenticity, confidentiality, integrity, and scalability. Authentication is a vital aspect of wireless or sensor networking systems. It enables sender node and the receiver to execute effective and valid communication. Confidentiality ensures that an external party other than the communicating nodes would not read the data transmitted correctly. This ensures that the message transmission is through encryption. Integrity indicates that the data should follow modifications by the adversary receiver. This ensures the validity of data between the sender and the receiver. Scalability requirement indicates that the key management scheme must be scalable in the sense that, in growth of the network in relation to size, there should be no increase in the compromising of the nodes thus constant cost of operation (Singh & Verma, 2011).
Reference
Singh, S., & Verma, H. (2011). Security for Wireless Sensor Network. International Journal on Computer Science & Engineering, 3(6), 2393-2399.
