Mobile agent based secure code update in wireless sensor networks

Most of the sensor nodes are battery powered and energy utilization is one of the important criteria. At the same time Securing code update is very much essential for military, health care and environmental applications. But to send the code updates in a distributed, multihop sensor networks, most of the energy will be consumed in forwarding the packets to next hop sensor nodes. In order to avoid this and save energy consumption at sensor nodes, a small number of mobile agents are used to distribute the code. Mobile agents traverse along the desired path to disseminate the code. Sensor nodes have to authenticate the mobile agent and at the same time they have to check the integrity of the packets. Mobile agents are more vulnerable for adversaries, hence measures are taken to detect the attacks and rectify them. Secure code update using mobile agents provides confidentiality and immediate authentication. This protocol is implemented on Tiny OS platform, tested using Tossim simulator and evaluated the Performance.