Towards Robust Attack Detection in Wireless Mesh Networks

无线网状网越来越多地被用于向有线部署策略不可能或昂贵得令人望而却步的社区提供负担得起的网络连接。这样的网状网络正在帮助弥合所谓的数字鸿沟，并被证明对农村地区的社区和企业来说是无价的。不幸的是，计算机网络经常被娱乐和专业攻击者利用，这可能会影响其合法使用的效用。针对这一点，已经开发了一些对策，包括入侵防御系统，如网络防火墙，以及旨在检测攻击引起的异常行为的入侵检测系统。入侵检测系统产生的异常信息可以有效地影响攻击补救策略，如调整防火墙规则，在无线Mesh网络上执行入侵检测尤其具有挑战性。人们对有线互联网上的入侵检测系统进行了大量的研究，但在无线Mesh网络环境下对这些系统的理解还很少。我们认为，调查这些网络上的入侵检测是及时和重要的--它们正越来越多地部署在非学术环境中，攻击者的活动继续上升，变得更加复杂。这笔EPSRC奖学金将使兰开斯特大学能够接待德怀特·马卡洛夫博士五个月，并因此利用他的专业知识，以便在这一重要研究领域取得进展。

Wireless mesh networks are being increasingly used to provide affordable network connectivity to communities where wired deployment strategies are either not possible or are prohibitively expensive. Such mesh networks are helping to bridge the so-called digital divide, and are proving to be invaluable to communities and businesses in rural areas.Unfortunately, computer networks are frequently being exploited by recreational and professional attackers, which can affect their utility for legitimate use. In response to this, a number of countermeasures have been developed, including intrusion prevention systems, such as network firewalls, and intrusion detection systems that aim to detect anomalous behaviour caused by attacks. Anomaly information generated by intrusion detection systems can be used to effectively influence attack remediation strategies, such as making adjustments to firewall rules.Performing intrusion detection on wireless mesh networks is particularly challenging. Much research has been carried out on intrusion detection systems on the wired Internet, however, little has been done to understand these systems in a wireless mesh networking context. We believe investigating intrusion detection on these networks is timely and important -- they are being deployed increasingly in non-academic settings and the activity of attackers continues to rise and become more sophisticated. This EPSRC Fellowship grant will enable Lancaster University to host Dr Dwight Makaroff for five months, and consequently draw on his expertise so that inroads can be made in this important area of research.