Mobility-Aware RPL Network Assessment under a Blackhole Attack

The speedy evolution of IoT technology is leading to a large-scale deployment of Low power and Lossy Networks (LLN). These constrained networks rely on tiny devices with limited computing and storage capabilities that connect to the internet using mainly the RPL routing protocol. However, this protocol can be an easy prey for attackers that can disrupt the network and degrade its performances by means of modification, isolation, or injection of malicious information. In this paper, we identify the impact of malicious nodes on mobile RPL-based networks by integrating a blackhole attack. The current study is benchmarked with static RPL networks in normal conditions. A set of routing metrics are evaluated, including resource consumption, control messages, and network stability. Our study highlights the degradation of network performances in a static environment compared to a mobile network in the presence of misbehaving (attackers) nodes.