Mobile Agent Based Routing in Manets - Attacks & Defences

A Mobile Adhoc Network (Manet) is a highly challenging environment due to its dynamic topology, limited processing capability, limited storage, band width constraints, high bit error rate and lack of central control. In this dynamic network, each node is considered as a mobile router. A malicious node can easily disrupt the proper functioning of the routing by refusing to forward routing message (misbehavior node), inject the wrong routing packets, modifying routing information, etc. Hence the design of secured routing algorithm is a major issue in Manets.  Mobile Agent based algorithms also called Ant Routing algorithms are a class of swarm intelligence and try to map the solution capability of ant colonies for routing in Manets. In this paper we discuss prominent attacks and propose counter-measures in three Ant based routing protocols that are proactive, reactive and hybrid routing.