Security considerations for IEEE 802.15.4 networks

The IEEE 802.15.4 specification outlines a new class of wireless radios and protocols targeted at low power devices, personal area networks, and sensor nodes. The specification includes a number of security provisions and options. In this paper, we highlight places where application designers and radio designers should exercise care when implementing and using 802.15.4 devices. Specifically, some of the 802.15.4 optional features actually reduce security, so we urge implementors to ignore those extensions. We highlight difficulties in safely using the security API and provide recommendations on how to change the specification to make it less likely that people will deploy devices with poor security configurations.