A Review of Security Threats and Defence Mechanisms in Vanets

Abstract

Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) have emerged as a critical component of intelligent transportation systems, enabling real-time communication among vehicles and infrastructure to enhance road safety, traffic management, and driving efficiency. However, due to their highly dynamic nature and reliance on open wireless communication channels, VANETs are vulnerable to various security attacks such as Denial of Service (DoS), Sybil attacks, message tampering, and eavesdropping. To mitigate these security threats, several defence strategies proposed by researchers have been examined. These strategies encompass the use of Multivariate Stream Analysis (MVSA) to identify DDoS attacks, privacy-preserving authentication methods to combat Sybil attacks, and enhanced intrusion detection systems to recognize grey hole attacks. In addition, techniques such as route tracing and node identification are recommended for addressing black hole attacks, while DoS attacks can be prevented through encryption methods and dynamic channel switching. The paper aims to highlight the strengths and limitations of current security solutions and suggests future research directions to develop more robust and adaptive security architectures for VANETs. By addressing these security concerns, the safe deployment and operation of VANETs in real-world environments can be significantly improved.