A Torpor-based Enhanced Security Model for CSMA/CA Protocol in Wireless Networks

Abstract

Mobile wireless networks enable the connection of devices to a network with minimal or no infrastructure. This comes with the advantages of ease and cost-effectiveness, thus largely popularizing the network. Notwithstanding these merits, the open physical media, infrastructural-less attributes, and pervasive deployment of wireless networks make the channel of communication (media access) vulnerable to attacks such as traffic analysis, monitoring, and jamming. This study designed a virtual local area network (VLAN) model to circumvent virtual jamming attacks and other intrusions at the Media Access Control (MAC) layer of the Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) protocol. A Torpor VLAN (TVLAN) Data Frame Encapsulation and the algorithm for T-VLAN security in CSMA/CA were formulated and presented. A simulation experiment was conducted on the model using OMNeT++ software. The performance metrics used to evaluate the model were packet delivery ratio, network throughput, end-to-end channel delay, and channel load. The simulation results show that the TVLAN defence mechanism did not increase the channel load arbitrarily during TVLAN defence. similarly, the system throughput was shown to be 82% during TVLAN defence. Nevertheless, the network delay of the system during TVLAN defence was significantly high but the channel load was 297 when the TVLAN security mechanism was launched. These results demonstrate the model’s ability to provide a survivability mechanism for critical systems when under attack and add a security layer to the CSMA/CA protocol in wireless networks. Such a remarkable performance is required of a CSMA/CA infrastructure for improving the cybersecurity posture of a wireless network.