Intrusion detection: Ad-hoc networks to ambient intelligence framework

The main advantage of the wireless ad hoc network lies in its ability to perform on a decentralized basis, without any base station. However, the absence of centralized control makes it vulnerable to various threats from insiders such as unauthorized attempt to access and/or manipulate information. An attacker has the ability to listen to all network traffic, and even make changes causing serious damages to confidentiality. In the context of ambient intelligent systems, detection of intrusion is even more important. There are numerous sensors, communicating among themselves in an unambiguous manner. Attacks such as sleep deprivation, eavesdropping, etc have become all the more dangerous for heavy dependence on ad-hoc wireless communications. The timeliness of data delivery is of utmost importance in systems like healthcare. Intrusion of any kind may lead to a chaotic condition. The focus of research is now on developing full-proof IDS for the AmI systems. In this article, a study on the transformation of IDS from the primitive wireless ad hoc network to the ambient intelligent scenario has been presented.