Identification and prevention of Gray hole attack using IDS mechanism in MANET

Since the mid-1990s, the growth of laptops and Wi-Fi networks has led to a great increase in the use of MANET (Mobile ad hoc network) in wireless communication. MANET is a group of mobile devices for example mobile phones, computers, laptops, radios, sensors, etc., that communicate with each other wirelessly without any support from existing internet infrastructure or any other kind of fixed stations. As MANET is an infrastructure-less network it is prone to various attacks, which can lead to loss of information during communication, security breaches or other unauthentic malpractices. Various types of attacks to which MANET can be vulnerable are denial of service (DOS) and packet dropping attacks such as Gray hole, Blackhole, Wormhole, etc. In this research, we are particularly focusing on the detection and prevention of Gray hole attack. Gray hole node drops selective data packets, while participating in the routing process like other nodes, and advertises itself as a genuine node. The Intrusion Detection System (IDS) technique is used for identification and aversion of the Gray hole attack. Use of AODV routing protocol is made in the network. The network is incorporated and simulation parameters such as PDR (Packet Delivery Ratio), Energy Consumption, End-to-end delay, and Throughput are analyzed using simulation software.