Enhanced DCOPA with Security Features for WSN-Based IoT Clustering

In the context of Wireless Sensor Networks applied to the Internet of Things (WSN-Based IoT), security is a major concern due to the vulnerability of these networks to various threats and attacks. While the DCOPA protocol is efficient in terms of energy management and clustering, its security aspects have not been addressed. To mitigate security risks such as Sybil attacks, identity spoofing, and replay attacks, this paper proposes an enhancement to the DCOPA protocol, called Secured DCOPA (SECDCOPA), by integrating a robust and lightweight security mechanism into its operation. The main objective is to enhance the security of the network constructed using DCOPA to mitigate security threats while preserving energy efficiency. The proposed mechanism ensures that only authenticated entities can join the established cluster network, guaranteeing the authenticity of communicating entities and providing complete control over the integrity of exchanged information. The integration of this security mechanism into DCOPA is of paramount importance in IoT environments, where security is under constant threat. By employing a distributed hash-based security approach, we en-hance the security features of DCOPA while preserving its energy efficiency. This ensures the network's resilience against attacks and maintains its stability.