A Multi-Tier Trust-Based Security Mechanism for Vehicular Ad-Hoc Network Communications

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Network Security
• Intelligent Transportation Systems

Background:

• Vehicle ad hoc networks (VANETs) are vital for road safety and efficient communication.
• Malicious vehicles pose a significant threat by intercepting or altering critical messages.
• Ensuring message integrity and authenticity is paramount for VANET operational security.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a robust multi-tier trust management system for VANETs.
• To effectively detect and mitigate the impact of malicious vehicles.
• To enhance the overall security and reliability of VANET communications.

Main Methods:

• Implemented a three-tier security approach for trust evaluation.
• Vehicles are assigned trust values based on behavior (processing delay, packet loss, history).
• Utilized 'watchdogs' to monitor neighboring vehicles and protect trust calculation data.

Main Results:

• The proposed system successfully identifies malicious vehicles within the VANET.
• Demonstrated improvement in packet delivery ratio.
• Showcased a reduction in end-to-end delay.

Conclusions:

• The multi-tier trust management system provides effective security against malicious vehicles in VANETs.
• The system enhances VANET performance metrics like packet delivery and latency.
• This approach contributes to safer and more reliable intelligent transportation systems.