A cross-layer approach to detect jamming attacks in wireless ad hoc networks

Building an efficient Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is a challenging task in wireless ad hoc networks due to the resource constraints and lack of a centralized control. In this work, we present a decentralized monitor-based IDS for detecting jamming type Denial of Service (DoS) attacks at the lower layers of the protocol stack. The varying channel and network dynamics in ad hoc networks can impair service similar to a jamming scenario, resulting in false positives on intrusion detections. To this end, we incorporate a cross-layer design in our IDS to differentiate the malicious jamming behavior from genuine network failures. We validate our design through simulation, and establish the effectiveness of the model. From the simulation results, we observe a significant improvement in the accuracy of detection and lower false positives.