Walid Elgenaidi

Secure and Efficient Key Coordination Algorithm for Line Topology Network Maintenance for Use in Maritime Wireless Sensor Networks

There has been a significant increase in the proliferation and implementation of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) in different disciplines, including the monitoring of maritime environments, healthcare systems, and industrial sectors. It has now become critical to address the security issues of data communication while considering sensor node constraints. There are many proposed schemes, including the scheme being proposed in this paper, to ensure that there is a high level of security in WSNs. This paper presents a symmetric security scheme for a maritime coastal environment monitoring WSN. The scheme provides security for travelling packets via individually encrypted links between authenticated neighbors, thus avoiding a reiteration of a global rekeying process. Furthermore, this scheme proposes a dynamic update key based on a trusted node configuration, called a leader node, which works as a trusted third party. The technique has been implemented in real time on a Waspmote test bed sensor platform and the results from both field testing and indoor bench testing environments are discussed in this paper.

Trust security mechanism for marine Wireless Sensor Networks

To provide a strong security service in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), cryptographic mechanisms are required. Generally these security mechanisms demand intensive use of limited resource, such as memory, and energy to provide a defense against attacks. Monitoring the behavior of nodes and detecting risks according to these behaviors, and then taking decisions based on these measurements generally requires the use of a trusted Key Management scheme. In this paper we compare two existing security key management schemes that were designed for use in mobile ad hoc networks: “An overlay approach to data security in ad-hoc networks” authored by Jorg Liebeherr, Guangyu Dong, and “A hierarchical key management scheme for secure group communications in mobile ad hoc networks” authored by Nen-Chung Wang, Shian-Zhang Fang. Then a Hybrid Security Key Management Mechanism designed for use in the marine environment is proposed. This scheme focuses on reducing the memory storage of keys, using a leader node that is responsible for both the node joining and the node revoke processes. This security mechanism is implementing in real time on the Waspmote sensor platform.

Cluster head election and rotation for medical-based wireless sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks (WSN) are a growing field with applications in different areas that include the Medical industry. Each application raises different concerns, challenges, and requirements. This paper looks at a Cluster in a Medical WSN, and focuses on the election of a Cluster Head (CH), its power consumption, and rotation frequency. The rotation of CH is important because it allows for a load-balanced cluster i.e. helping mitigate network energy consumption. In the implemented system, our work shows improvement in power/energy consumption compared to the related work.

Look before you leap: Exploring the challenges of technology and user experience in the Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a new concept that is growing in interest amongst researchers, businesses and the end users. It engages and stimulates certain fundamental traits of human behavior — our need and desire to interact, to exchange ideas and to communicate with the surrounding environment. While the IoT potentially breaks down barriers of distance and time, it is interesting to consider how open & accessible it is. This article explores aspects of the IoT that may be important for future developments and aspires to provide an alternative perspective for an improved user experience (UX).

Bump in the wire (BITW) security solution for a marine ROV remote control application

Abstract The work presented here describes a Bump-In-The-Wire (BITW) security solution for the provision of secure communications for a Marine ROV Control Application. The targeted marine application involves controlling a ‘Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV)’ from a remote control station through standard Internet. A BITW solution is required as communication through the Internet is inherently insecure and open to signal modification or tampering. BITW technology is an implementation approach that places a security mechanism outside and independent of the system that is to be protected, in this case that is a ROV and its remotely located control station. Secure communications between the ROV and the remote control station is necessary to ensure that only authorised persons can issue control commands to the ROV and that no unauthorised individual can understand/sniff the communications between the ROV and control station. The proposed BITW security solution involves an efficient implementation of the AES cryptographic algorithm on a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) platform. The extra delay introduced into the remote control application was well within the allowable time window of 50 ms. Other security mechanisms can also be implemented in the same way depending upon the availability of hardware resources.

Reconfiguration of neighbouring nodes in coastal monitoring wireless sensor networks based on leader node recommendation

Maritime environmental monitoring based on wireless sensor networks is a challenging area of research due to the characteristics of the water environment. Thus, there are certain designing considerations must be taken into account, for instance network architecture, remote sensor data management and security of data transmission. The system must have the ability to adjust its sensor members in the network in response to environmental changes, and the condition of sensor nodes. In terms of data security, our scheme applied number of security algorithms on the network, such as advanced encryption standard based wireless sensor networks and message digest algorithm, which is providing source travelling data via authenticated sensor nodes to end user. For the sake of network stability, this work presents new technique relaying on recommendation for node called Leader node. This node is monitoring all network members behavior and reconstruct the network topology in case of abnormal member behavior. The system has been tested in real time on Waspmote sensor platform in University of Limerick Campus.