Impact and Countermeasures of Malware Attacks on Energy-Efficient Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) play a significant role in various applications such as environmental monitoring, healthcare, industrial automation, and smart cities. However, a WSN suffers from resource constraints, i.e., low energy and low computational capability, which makes it vulnerable to a broad range of malware attacks. These attacks, including sleep deprivation, blackhole, and worm propagation, can significantly compromise network performance, drain energy resources, and disrupt data transmission. This paper explores the impact of malware attacks on energy-efficient WSNs and evaluates existing and proposed countermeasures to enhance security while maintaining energy efficiency. This paper proposed a multi-layered security framework incorporating Adaptive Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), secure routing protocols, and lightweight cryptographic methods by analysing how malware affects energy consumption and overall network stability. The methodology for threat mitigation yielded lesser overhead since it aims to build robust WSNs with a long-lasting defence mechanism against emerging security issues. The methodology guaranteed security and reliability in communication, prolonging the network operation's lifespan while still dealing with malware threats in energy-limited WSNs.