Security Aspects in Sensor Networks and Secure Wireless or Mobile Data Management

Sensor networks offer economically viable solutions for a variety of applications. For example, current implementations monitor factory instrumentation, pollution levels, freeway traffic, and the structural integrity of buildings. Other applications include climate sensing and control in office buildings and home environmental sensing systems for temperature, light, moisture, and motion. Sensor networks are key to the creation of smart spaces, which embed information technology in everyday home and work environments...
The miniature wireless sensor nodes, or motes, developed from low-cost off-the-shelf components at the University of California, Berkeley, as part of its smart dust projects, establish a self-organizing sensor network when dispersed into an environment. The privacy and security issues posed by sensor networks represent a rich field of research problems. Improving network hardware and software may address many of the issues, but others will require new supporting technologies.

Potential applications of sensor networks include:

·       Industrial automation
·         Automated and smart homes
·         Video surveillance
·         Traffic monitoring
·         Medical device monitoring
·         Monitoring of weather conditions
·         Air traffic control
·         Robot control


SECURITY ASPECTS IN SENSOR NETWORK:
Security is a broadly used term encompassing the characteristics of authentication, integrity, privacy, nonrepudiation, and anti-playback For the secure transmission of various types of information over networks, several cryptographic, steganographic and other techniques are used which are well known. Techniques are meant for wireless sensor networks are –
  •          Cryptography
  •          Steganography
  •          Physical Layer Secure Access

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ATTACKS IN SENSOR NETWORKS:
Attacks against wireless sensor networks could be broadly considered from two different levels of views. One is the attack against the security mechanisms and another is against the basic mechanisms (like routing mechanisms). Here we point out the major attacks in wireless sensor networks.
  •         Denial of Service
  •         Attacks on Information in transit
  •         Sybil Attack
  •         Blackhole/Sinkhole Attack
  •         Hello Flood Attack
  •         Wormhole Attack


SECURE WIRELESS OR MOBILE DATA MANAGEMENT:
Complete mobile security encompasses a written mobile security policy, the security of the mobile device and its data, the security of the mobile communications to and from the mobile device, and the optimization of the corporate network to support business mobility. The mobile device and its data are secured by controlling access to the device, ensuring the security of stored or removable data on the mobile device, protecting it from viruses and malware, and the securing of Bluetooth connections. Communications to and from the mobile device need to be secured through confidentiality, integrity and authentication over the network.
The rise in the mobile workforce is putting more demand on IT departments for greater access to mobile devices and greater access to corporate data stores through those mobile devices. Responsible organizations recognize the inherent risks this carries and take the necessary steps to maintain the security of their sensitive data. In many cases, solutions that work in a desktop environment are impractical for mobile computing, given the constrained processing, memory and battery resources of mobile devices. To be effective, an enterprise wireless security strategy needs to address:
  •          Securing the mobile device and its data
  •          Securing the communications to and from the mobile device to the Corporate network
  •          Optimizing the enterprise network to support business mobility

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