Clone node detection in static wireless sensor networks: A hybrid approach

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) security is a serious concern due to the lack of hardware protection on sensor nodes. One common attack on WSNs is the cloning attack, where an adversary captures legitimate nodes, creates multiple replicas, and reprograms them for malicious activities. Therefore, creating an efficient defense to mitigate this challenge is essential. Several witness node-based techniques have been developed to solve this issue, but they often suffer from higher communication and memory overheads or low detection accuracy, making them less effective. In response to the limitations of existing techniques, we propose a novel approach called Hybrid Random Walk assisted Zone-based (HRWZ) for clone node detection in static WSNs. The HRWZ method relies on the random selection of Zone-Leader ( Z L ) in WSNs to detect clones effectively while maintaining network lifespan. We compared HRWZ to known witness node-based techniques, namely Randomized Multicast (RM), Line Selected Multicast (LSM), Random Walk (RAWL) and Table-assisted RAndom WaLk (TRAWL), under different simulation settings. The simulation results confirmed the improved performance and reliability of the proposed HRWZ technique. Our approach reduces communication costs and provides an effective way of selecting Z L for high-probability clone node detection. • The article discusses the significant security concerns in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) focusing on clone attacks. • The article highlights the drawbacks of current witness node-based approaches for clone detection, diminishing their effectiveness. • A Hybrid Random Walk assisted Zone-based (HRWZ) approach to efficiently detect clone nodes while preserving network lifespan was proposed.