Title: Key establishment protocols for secure communication in clustered sensor networks

Authors: A.S. Poornima; B.B. Amberker

Addresses: Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Siddaganga Institute of Technology, Tumkur-572103, Karnataka, India ' Department of Computer Science and Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Warangal, Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract: Clustering in wireless sensor networks (WSN) is a technique used to improve the lifetime of the network. Heinzelman et al. proposed a clustering method called LEACH which rotates the role of CH among the nodes in the network. However, it does not provide any security. In this paper, we propose two deterministic key establishment protocols to counter the vulnerabilities of LEACH protocol. These protocols are called polynomial-based key establishment protocol (PBKEP) and hash-based key establishment protocol (HBKEP). These protocols ensure that it is always possible to establish a secret key with the current CH in every round of LEACH clustering protocol. The protocols also ensure that a malicious node cannot join the cluster at any round. The clusters are formed only among the legitimate nodes. Also any malicious node pretending as CH will not succeed as no other legitimate node will choose that as CH.

Keywords: cluster-based WSNs; polynomial shares; key matrix; cluster head; key establishment protocols; secure communications; clustered sensor networks; wireless sensor networks; network security; clustering; network lifetime; vulnerabilities; LEACH protocol; secret keys.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCNDS.2013.055514

International Journal of Communication Networks and Distributed Systems, 2013 Vol.11 No.2, pp.120 - 138

Published online: 28 Feb 2014 *

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