Energy-Efficient Authentication and Anti-Replay Security Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks

This article proposes a security solution for Wireless Sensor Networks that provides strong authentication, anti-replay protection, confidentiality and integrity, while being reliable and energy-efficient: the Energy-efficient Authentication and Anti-Replay Security Protocol (EAASP). Mutual authentication is performed during a three-step handshake that establishes an authenticated connection. The protocol includes an anti-replay mechanism that binds packets to their context so that they cannot be re-used by attackers. Reliability is warranted by a packet recovery mechanism using negative acknowledgements. The security protocol has been implemented within two layers in TinyOS and its functionality was evaluated using TOSSIM. An extensive comparative evaluation of five solutions recommends EAASP for critical applications in military, industrial and medical utilization.