Version Attack Detection using Claim Algorithm in RPL based IoT Networks: Effects and Performance Parameters Evaluation

Internet of Things (IoT) is a collection of things or objects that are uniquely identified in the network. All the devices communicate through the Internet. The devices are also resource constrained. Since the devices are resources constrained, Routing protocol for Low Power Lossy Network (RPL) is used as a network layer protocol. It is suitable for network that is susceptible to high packet loss and has low power devices. The version number is the active type of attack possible in RPL protocol of IoT. RPL constructs Destination Oriented Directed Acyclic graph (DODAG) topology using control packets. Each DODAG is assigned a version number. If there is any change in the topology, then the version number is incremented. If any version attacker is introduced in the network, it falsly advertise the control packet and leads to frequent DODAG formation. So, that the control packets are generated in large volume. This leads to performance degradation in the network. Version attack also leads to various other attacks. So, it is important to address the version attack. In this paper, working of RPL, during formation and maintenance of topology, a version number attack detection Claim algorithm for securing RPL is proposed along with existing countermeasures and the effects of version attack are discussed.