Defeating SSDF Attacks With Trusted Nodes Assistance in Cognitive Radio Networks

Spectrum sensing data falsification (SSDF) is one of the most dangerous attacks that can degrade the reliability of collaborative spectrum sensing in cognitive radio (CR) networks. In this article, we propose a novel defense strategy to thwart SSDF attacks by intelligently verifying sensory data with the assistance of trusted nodes. The proposed scheme employs an efficient and fast reputation-based algorithm to analyze the behavior of each user. Hence, not only will reliable sensory data be accepted by the central entity, but also, malicious users can be easily identified and removed from the network. Both theoretical and simulation results show that the proposed method provides a powerful countermeasure against SSDF attacks in an adversarial CR environment.