Security trust model in wireless sensor networks using hybrid herd optimization techniques

Abstract

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are self-organized wireless network systems with many low-cost and resource-constraint sensor nodes. As sensor networks are often deployed in adversarial and unattended environments for critical applications such as battlefield surveillance and medical monitoring, the security solution for WSNs is challenging. The traditional mechanisms based on cryptography and authentication cannot prevent internal attacks launched by compromised nodes that have valid cryptographic keys and post as authenticated nodes in the network. Low Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy (LEACH) is an energy adaptive clustering hierarchy protocol. The main goal of cluster-based sensor networks is to decrease system delay and reduce energy consumption. This work proposes a Trust-based LEACH (trust LEACH) protocol to provide secure routing while preserving the essential functionalities of the original protocol. The decision-making of the scheme is based on the decision trust, evaluated separately and dynamically for different decisions by the basic situational trust. The situational trust is maintained by a trust management module integrated with a trust-based routing module, having novel techniques in the trust update model and cluster-head-assisted monitoring control. Results show that the trust LEACH has a higher number of clusters formed and a lifetime by LEACH. The trust LEACH has a lower average end-to-end delay and average packet loss rate by LEACH. In this work, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Firefly (FF), Elephant Herding Optimization (EHO), trust-based PSO, FF, and EHO algorithms are proposed for enhancing the network performance. The EHO metaheuristic optimization algorithm is based on the herding behavior of elephants. EHO uses a clan operator for updating the distance of the elephants with respect to the position of a matriarch elephant. On selection of secure nodes, routes are selected using EHO optimizer for transmitting data, and nodes are updated with trust/energy values at the end of tran