Impact Analysis of Security Attacks on Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs)

Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) offer a decentralized communication solution ideal for infrastructure-less environments like disaster relief zones. However, their inherent lack of central control and dynamic topology make them vulnerable to attacks. This paper examines the impact of various attacks on mobile nodes within two network types: randomly and uniformly distributed stationary networks. Four types of attacks are investigated: delay, dropping, sinkhole (alone), and a combined black hole attack (dropping + sinkhole). The effects of these attacks are compared using the packet delivery ratio, throughput, and end-to-end delay. The evaluation results show that all single attacks negatively impacted network performance, with the random network experiencing the most significant degradation. Interestingly, the combined black hole attack, while more disruptive than any single attack, affected the uniformly distributed network more severely than the random network.