A novel solution for achieving anonymity in wireless ad hoc networks

A mobile ad hoc network consists of mobile nodes that can move freely in an open environment. Communicating nodes in a wireless and mobile ad hoc network usually seek the help of other intermediate nodes to establish communication channels. In such an open environment, malicious intermediate nodes can be a threat to the security and/or anonymity of the exchanged data between the mobile nodes. While data encryption can protect the content exchanged between nodes, routing information may reveal valuable information about end users and their relationships. The main purposes of this paper are to study the possibility of achieving anonymity in ad hoc networks, and propose an anonymous routing protocol, similar to onion routing concept used in wired networks. Our protocol includes a mechanism to establish a trust among mobile nodes while avoiding untrustworthy nodes during the route discovery process. The major objective of our protocol is to allow only trustworthy intermediate nodes to par...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2004
• Where: pewasun
• Authors: Azzedine Boukerche, Khalil El-Khatib, Li Xu, Larry Korba
• Keywords: Ad Hoc, Ad Hoc Networks, Mobile Ad Hoc Networks, PEWASUN 2004, Wireless Networks