Enabling secure and reliable policy-based routing in MANETs

We propose and present a framework for enabling policy-based routing in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) by applying policy rules associated with the security and reliability (of connection) to peer-to-peer security associations (SA) that are established on (multi-link) routes. In this proposal, we leverage and integrate the concept of dispersity routing with the management and maintenance of an existing modular security architecture. We adopt the Ad hoc On-demand Multipath Distance Vector (AOMDV) routing protocol to achieve dispersity routing. We further expand the modular security architecture, containing the Trust-enhanced Routing Table (TRT) module to include a reliability metric so that a route, among multiple available routes to a destination, may be selected and tracked with policy-set parameters. Under our proposal, a secure route is one that would be mapped through authenticated (trusted) nodes with established SAs, whereas a reliable route is one that would have a high Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF). The combination of trust and reliability as parameters used with multiple routes renders a graded routing service - the capability of providing several potential routes to a destination in a MANET, each of which may be selected because its security and reliability metrics match those of the policy. We support this proposal with a proof of concept simulation and we discuss that secure and reliable policy-based routing in MANETs is a worthwhile area for further research and investment.