Security vulnerabilities and countermeasures against jamming attacks in Wireless Sensor Networks: A survey

Abstract

Wireless sensor network is a collection of several nodes in a network capable of sharing information in wireless medium. Due to the presence of wireless medium it is highly vulnerable to network attacks. WSN has many applications ranging from monitoring of environment to highly restricted military and surveillance where security is a major requirement. The most common and dangerous attack which can be proved harmful for WSN is jamming attack. In jamming an adversary can limit the capabilities of WSN communication by interfering with RF signals using certain jamming devices. Securing a WSN is one of the major concerns of network safety. In this paper, we have discussed various jamming techniques and types of jammers. We have also listed some countermeasures of jamming which, if used, depending on the application can significantly reduce the chances and effects of jamming. Some limitations and challenges of WSN are also explained. Starting from the introduction about the WSN, our work will cover all the pros and cons of the jammers and countermeasures which can help an interested researcher to gain some knowledge about the topic.