Secure Extension and Key Management for DYMO Routing Protocol (Secure DYMO)

Abstract

A mobile ad hoc network (MANET) is a collection of wireless mobile nodes that communicate with each other without any infrastructure or central authority. The mobile nodes act as both hosts and routers. There are various ad hoc routing protocols, including Dynamic MANET On-demand (DYMO). The aim of this paper is to propose an extension, called "Secure DYMO", to this protocol in order to secure routing messages. This is achieved by encrypting and decrypting routing messages to ensure authentication, integrity, and confidentiality of routing information. To accomplish this, the protocol operates in two phases. The first phase is triggered when a node joins the network and is used to exchange keys with its immediate neighbors. The second phase consists of securing the routing messages used for route discovery and maintenance. This modification impacts network performance. Our objective is to measure the effect of this cryptographic processing on DYMO's behavior under varying network density and mobility conditions.