Security in Opportunistic Networks
Mohini Singh, Pradeepika Verma, Anshul Verma · 2021
The opportunistic network is a result of intensive research of so many years on mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), therefore it is called an extension of MANET. In opportunistic networks, mobility of the nodes is used as a way for the communication between disconnected clusters of nodes rather than an exception that should be overcome. Messages can be exchanged between source and destination by using the store-carry-and-forward approach in which intermediate nodes store messages in the absence of better forwarding nodes, carry messages from one location to another, and forward them to the other nodes that have better opportunity to bring the messages closer to the destination. Because messages are transmitted from source to destination by exploiting intermediate nodes that may be unreliable, security is a prime concern in opportunistic networks. The chapter discusses many security issues of opportunistic networks that need serious attention from researchers. First, it introduces characteristics of opportunistic networks, followed by a discussion of both general and security issues. Thereafter, the main thrust areas of security in opportunistic networks and research works that have been done in these areas are studied. Further, a general security architecture of opportunistic networks is described. Various security attacks and their defense mechanisms are presented. Finally, the chapter concludes with some future research directions.