Malicious Node Detection in Wireless Sensor Networks

The nature of many applications using wireless sensor networks (WSNs) necessitates the use of security mechanisms. One of the main issues in WSN are malicious nodes spoofing their identity and location. In this paper we propose a decentralized malicious node detection technique based on the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI). The method is probabilistic, taking into account shadowing and fading effects. An empirical pathloss model is generated at each node during the discovery phase. In addition, the developed technique is able to localize the detected node within a small area. Simulation results highlight the high detection rate of the method under varying conditions.