Achieving Source Location Privacy in WSNs by using Multiple k-hop Clusters based routing technique

Abstract

In recent years, source location privacy has become significant challenge in Wireless sensor networks.
Source location privacy is to hide the physical location of the actual source and makes it more complex for an adversary
to trace back the path to the source location. Radio frequency Localization Techniques can be used by adversaries so
that they can trace reverse path hop-by-hop from sink to source and identify the source. Many privacy related techniques
such as Phantom routing, cloud based routing, Tree based diversionary routing etc have been established, but still there
exits some problem in terms of source location privacy. Hence, to preserve source location privacy and to maintain
energy efficiency, Multiple k-hop clusters based routing strategy (MHCR) can be used. In this scheme, various
interference clusters are formed in entire network. Each sensor in cluster acts as a Fake source. Due to this adversaries
get confused and unable to trace the reverse path towards source. Also cluster heads are used to filter dummy traffic
formed by Fake sources so that there is no rise in energy consumption in hotspot of network. MHCR provides energy
efficiency without reducing network Lifetime and preserves source location privacy in Wireless Sensor Networks.