A security architecture for wireless ad hoc networks

An ad hoc network is a collection of nodes that do not need to rely on a predefined infrastructure to keep the network connected. The current trend in military ad hoc networking is to deploy technologies based on open standards that are widely used in the civilian environment. However, the military environment places heavier demands on networking and security solutions than the civilian environment. In this paper we present a model for a security architecture for wireless ad hoc networks that operate in a hostile environment. We especially focus on handling incomplete trust management to protect the network from attacks stemming from within the network.