Enhancing Security in Wireless Sensor Networks With Key Management Techniques

Abstract

In several fields, including environmental monitoring and healthcare, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have emerged as a vital technology. Security is a critical concern for WSNs, as these networks are often deployed in hostile environments where attackers may attempt to compromise the integrity and confidentiality of data. Key management is a key component of WSN security because it is employed to create and maintain secure channels for communication between nodes. This paper provides an overview of key management techniques for WSNs, including symmetric and asymmetric key distribution, hash-based key distribution, and threshold cryptography. We also discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each technique, as well as their suitability for different types of WSN applications. Finally, we identify key research challenges in the field of WSNs' key management, including the development of lightweight and energy-efficient key management protocols and the integration of key management with other security mechanisms such as intrusion detection and secure routing.