An overview of anonymous communications in mobile ad hoc networks

  • Authors:

  • Marga Nácher;Carlos T. Calafate;Juan-Carlos Cano;Pietro Manzoni

  • Affiliations:

  • Department of Computer Engineering, Technical University of Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain;Department of Computer Engineering, Technical University of Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain;Department of Computer Engineering, Technical University of Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain;Department of Computer Engineering, Technical University of Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain

  • Venue:
  • Wireless Communications & Mobile Computing
  • Year:
  • 2012

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Abstract

Security is an important topic in the context of mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs). The particular features of these networks, such as the use of open air as the transmission medium or computational constraints, make them vulnerable. One of the mechanisms to protect the communication is to provide anonymity, that aims at hiding the participants' identities, as well as the message contents and any kind of information about the transaction. For this purpose, some additional security mechanisms are required, usually based on cryptographic techniques. In this paper, we review the most relevant anonymity studies in the literature, starting with an analysis of proposals for wired networks, and then moving on to MANET environments. We also present a taxonomy to differentiate proposals according to the degree of anonymity offered. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (The paper reviews the most relevant anonymity studies, starting with an analysis of the proposals for wired networks, and then moving on to MANET environments. Such proposals are presented according to the degree of anonymity offered, from the least to the most anonymous proposals.)