Performance Evaluation of Trust Management in Mobile Ad-hoc Networks

Abstract

Mobile Ad-hoc Networks (MANETs) are characterised by their self-organising nature, dynamic topology, and lack of centralised control, which make them vulnerable to various security threats. Trust management mechanisms have emerged as a promising solution to address these challenges by establishing trust among nodes in the network and ensuring reliable and secure communication. The thesis presents a comprehensive approach to trust management in MANETs, focusing on the development, evaluation, and comparison of direct, indirect, and global trust management mechanisms for the Ad-hoc On-demand Distance Vector (AODV) routing protocol. The proposed direct trust management mechanism enhances the AODV protocol by incorporating trust values based on nodes’ historical behaviour during the route discovery and maintenance process. This mechanism allows nodes to make informed decisions when selecting routes, thereby improving the reliability and security of the network. The indirect trust management mechanism extends the direct trust approach by considering recommendations from neighbouring nodes to establish trust among nodes that have not previously interacted. This mechanism fosters cooperation among nodes and mitigates the impact of malicious or compromised nodes in the network. Finally, the global trust management mechanism takes a more holistic approach, combining direct and indirect trust information to calculate a global trust value for each node. This mechanism enables nodes to make routing decisions based on a broader understanding of the network’s overall trust landscape. To assess the performance and security of these trust management mechanisms, we conduct extensive simulations using the network simulators NS-2 and NS-3. Our results demonstrate significant improvements in key performance metrics, such as packet delivery ratio, throughput, end-to-end delay, and routing overheads, when trust management mechanisms are integrated with the AODV routing protocol. Furthermore, we evaluate the robustness of these mechanisms in the presence of malicious nodes, such as black hole attacks, and show their effectiveness in mitigating the impact of such security threats. In summary, this paper presents a comprehensive approach to trust management in Mobile Ad-hoc Networks, encompassing the development, evaluation, and comparison of direct, indirect, and global trust mechanisms for the AODV routing protocol. Through

rigorous analysis and extensive simulations, we demonstrate the effectiveness of these mechanisms in improving the security and performance of MANETs across various scenarios and environments. By highlighting potential future research and emphasising the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, the thesis contributes to the ongoing efforts to create more secure, robust, and efficient ad-hoc networking solutions.