Research On Malware Propagation In Wireless Sensor Networks

Based on epidemic models and the characteristics of wireless sensor networks(WSNs), we studied the mechanisms of malware propagating in WSNs by means of mathematical modeling:1. We studied the concept, structure and characteristics of the WSNs; the security problems about the WSNs; the concept of malware and their harms to the wireless networks.2. We studied the traditional propagation models of malware and the factors that afftect the propagation of malware in wireless environments, and we showed that some characteristic parameters of wireless networks can be added to the epidemic models to improve them in describing the mechanisms of malware propagating in wireless environments.3. The mechanisms of malware propagating in WSNs are especially studied:(1) After providing the system model of WSNs, we define some propagating parameters of malware according to their inherent characteristics and clarify some corresponding limited conditions.(2) We analyzed a TWPM propagation model of malware in the WSN, which described the temporal and spatial propagation dynamics of malware through a comprehensive consideration of the factors in MAC and network layers.(3) We studied a malware propagation model based on IEEE 802.15.4 standard in the WSN. According to the CSMA/CA method of IEEE 802.15.4, this model described the propagation mechanisms of malware in unicast and multicast conditions respectively, and then verified them through simulation experiments.4. We presented a malware propagation model with node sleeping/wakeup mechanism in the WSNs.(1) The WSN model and its MAC method were provided.(2) The SIR/WS model of malware propagation in the WSN was presented and the differential equations describing the model were established.(3) The simulation results show that this model can describe the propagation of malware in the WSN well.