Work in Progress: Securing Mesh Routing in a Critical Environment

In battlefield scenarios where the lack of internet infrastructure is prevalent, using Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks (MANETs) becomes imperative to handle packets in a rapidly-changing network topology. The objective is to enable soldiers on the battlefield to communicate securely and efficiently, leveraging the benefits offered by the Optimized Link State Routing (OLSR) protocol. OLSR employs multipoint relays (MPRs) to discover the network topology proactively. However, there is a potential security risk if a malicious node is chosen as an MPR, leading to an incorrect routing table and message routing issues. This research proposes a secure routing protocol called OLSR+ to address these concerns. It introduces a trust-based approach, utilizing trustworthiness and credit information collected from neighboring nodes to determine a reliable route for packet forwarding. Through several simulations, the effectiveness of OLSR+ is demonstrated in the following aspects: 1) prevention of sinkhole attacks in military MANETs; 2) avoidance of malicious nodes being selected as MPRs; 3) assurance of accurate topology information, ensuring secure and timely delivery of packets to their intended destinations.