On detection and concealment of critical roles in tactical wireless networks

In tactical wireless networks, the one-to-multiple communication model is pervasive due to commanding and control requirements in mission operations. In such networks, the roles of nodes are non-homogeneous; i.e., they are not equally important. This, however, opens a door for an adversary to target important nodes in the network by identifying their roles. In this paper, we investigate an important open question: how to detect and conceal the roles of nodes in tactical wireless networks? Answers to this question are of essential importance to understand how to identify critical roles and prevent them from being the primary targets. We demonstrate via analysis and simulations that it is feasible and even accurate to identify critical roles of nodes by looking at network traffic patterns. To provide countermeasures against role detection, we propose role concealment methods based on proactive network strategies. We use simulations to evaluate the effectiveness and costs of the role concealment methods.