Zero Trust for Secure Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are critical in modern applications, including environmental monitoring, healthcare, and industrial automation. However, their decentralized and resource-constrained nature makes them vulnerable to various security threats. Traditional perimeter-based security frameworks are insufficient to protect WSNs from sophisticated attacks. Zero Trust (ZT), emphasizing “never trust, always verify” principles, presents a promising paradigm for securing WSNs. This paper proposes a comprehensive ZT framework tailored for WSNs, addressing challenges such as trust establishment, continuous authentication, and energy-efficient security mechanisms. Simulation results demonstrate improved resilience against insider and outsider attacks, reduced false positives in anomaly detection, and optimized energy consumption. This work contributes to advancing secure communication in WSNs using a Zero Trust approach.