How to Implement Lightweight Cryptography in NS2

To implement the Lightweight Cryptography is created for environments with limited computational resources, like IoT devices, embedded systems, or sensor networks. It concentrates on delivering while reducing the computational and energy costs are included within cryptographic operations. In the environment NS2, whereas cryptographic functions are not natively supported, we can be replicated the lightweight cryptographic methods by modeling basic encryption, decryption, and important management processes with an emphasis on reducing the resource usage. Now, we presented below is a simplified guide to simulate the Lightweight Cryptography in NS2:

Step-by-Step Implementation:

  1. Set Up NS2

Make certain that NS2 is installed on the computer. If not, we can install it using the below command:

sudo apt-get install ns2

  1. Define the Network Topology

Configure a simple network topology with a sender and receiver. This network will mimic the lightweight cryptographic communication among nodes.

set ns [new Simulator]

set tracefile [open lightweight_crypto.tr w]

$ns trace-all $tracefile

# Create sender and receiver nodes

set sender [$ns node]

set receiver [$ns node]

# Create a lightweight link between the sender and receiver

$ns duplex-link $sender $receiver 1Mb 10ms DropTail

  1. Simulate Lightweight Key Management

In lightweight cryptography, key management requires to be effective and lightweight. Now, we mimic a basic key exchange among the sender and receiver.

(A) Simulate Lightweight Key Generation

Replicate the process of generating a lightweight symmetric key, which both sender and receiver will use for encryption and decryption.

# Simulate lightweight symmetric key generation

set lightweight_key “lightweight_key_123”  ;# Shared key used for encryption and decryption

# Log the key generation

puts “Generated lightweight symmetric key: $lightweight_key”

  1. Encrypt Messages Using Lightweight Encryption

We will replicate a basic form of encryption to reflect the resource-efficient nature of lightweight cryptography. Rather than using resource-intensive encryption algorithms, a lightweight function is used.

(A) Encrypt Message Using Lightweight Algorithm

Mimic the procedure of the encrypting a message using the shared lightweight key. Here, the encryption function will return a basic transformation of the input message and the key.

# Simulate lightweight encryption using the shared key

proc lightweight_encrypt {message key} {

puts “Encrypting message: ‘$message’ with key: $key”

return “encrypted_$message_with_$key”  ;# Simulate lightweight encryption result

}

# Encrypt a message at 1 second

$ns at 1.0 “set message ‘Hello Receiver!'”

$ns at 1.0 “set encrypted_message [lightweight_encrypt $message $lightweight_key]”

  1. Transmit the Encrypted Message

Replicate the real data transmission using CBR (Constant Bit Rate) traffic generator within NS2. The sender will transfer the encrypted message to the receiver.

# Set up UDP agents for sender and receiver

set udp_sender [new Agent/UDP]

set null_receiver [new Agent/Null]

$ns attach-agent $sender $udp_sender

$ns attach-agent $receiver $null_receiver

$ns connect $udp_sender $null_receiver

# Create CBR traffic generator to simulate the transmission of the encrypted message

set cbr_sender [new Application/Traffic/CBR]

$cbr_sender set packetSize_ 128  ;# Use small packet size to reflect lightweight data transmission

$cbr_sender set rate_ 512Kb      ;# Use a lower transmission rate to minimize resource usage

$cbr_sender attach-agent $udp_sender

# Send the encrypted message at 2 seconds

$ns at 2.0 “$cbr_sender start”

  1. Decrypt the Message Using Lightweight Decryption

When the encrypted message attains the receiver then the receiver will decrypt it using the similar lightweight key. This procedure will mimic resource-efficient decryption.

(A) Decrypt the Message

Replicate the decryption process by reversing the lightweight encryption function.

# Simulate lightweight decryption using the shared key

proc lightweight_decrypt {encrypted_message key} {

puts “Decrypting message: ‘$encrypted_message’ with key: $key”

return “decrypted_message”  ;# Simulate decrypted message

}

# Decrypt the message at 3 seconds

$ns at 3.0 “set decrypted_message [lightweight_decrypt $encrypted_message $lightweight_key]”

  1. Monitor and Log the Encryption/Decryption Process

Record the encryption and decryption processes to mimic the performance of lightweight cryptography in NS2. This logging will support to check that messages are securely transferred and decrypted correctly.

# Log the encryption and decryption process

proc log_encryption {message encrypted_message} {

puts “Original message: ‘$message’ was encrypted as: ‘$encrypted_message'”

}

proc log_decryption {encrypted_message decrypted_message} {

puts “Encrypted message: ‘$encrypted_message’ was decrypted as: ‘$decrypted_message'”

}

# Log the encryption and decryption process

$ns at 2.0 “log_encryption $message $encrypted_message”

$ns at 3.5 “log_decryption $encrypted_message $decrypted_message”

  1. Run the Simulation

When the script is ready, we can run the simulation using NS2:

ns your_script.tcl

  1. Analyze the Results

After running the simulation, verify the trace file (lightweight_crypto.tr) and console outcomes to check:

  • A lightweight key was generated and used for encryption.
  • The message was encrypted using the lightweight encryption algorithm.
  • The encrypted message was effectively transferred to the receiver.
  • The message was decrypted appropriately using the similar key.

Also we can be used the NAM (Network Animator) to view the transmission of the encrypted message among the sender and the receiver.

  1. Optimize Network Resources for Lightweight Cryptography

Lightweight cryptography is created for environments with limited resources, thus it is vital to enhance the network for effectiveness. It contains reducing the packet sizes, minimising bandwidth usage, and enhancing processing overhead.

(A) Optimize Link Bandwidth and Buffer Sizes

Replicate lightweight data transmission by minimizing the link bandwidth and also modify the buffer size to reflect resource constraints.

# Adjust link bandwidth and buffer sizes for lightweight communication

$ns duplex-link $sender $receiver 256Kb 10ms DropTail  ;# Reduce link bandwidth

Queue/DropTail set limit_ 10   ;# Set smaller buffer sizes to limit resource consumption

  1. Extend the Simulation

We can extend this simulation by:

  • Introducing lightweight key exchange protocols: Replicate the lightweight key exchange protocols such as Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman (ECDH) for safeguard key agreement.
  • Handling large messages: Mimic the encryption and decryption of the large messages using chunked transmission and lightweight encryption for every single chunk.
  • Adding different lightweight encryption algorithms: Replicate and execute the lightweight cryptographic algorithms like PRESENT, Speck, or Simon.
  • Simulating network attacks: Launch basic network attacks like tampering, eavesdropping, or replay attacks to verify the security of the lightweight cryptography execution.

To conclude, we had effectively presented the key steps to implement and simulate the Lightweight Cryptography within NS2. Likewise, we will be shared additional insights as per your requirements.

Our team specializes in delivering top-notch Lightweight Cryptography implementations in NS2, customized to meet your specific requirements. We also offer innovative project ideas and topics to enhance your experience.