How to Implement Network Cybersecurity Frameworks in NS2

To implement the Network Cybersecurity Frameworks in NS2 encompasses to simulate different security features and finest practices that associate with vital cybersecurity frameworks such as NIST Cybersecurity Framework or ISO/IEC 27001. These frameworks focus on areas like identify, protect, detect, respond, and recover from security incidents.

In NS2, We can execute functionalities like firewalls, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), encryption, access control, incident detection, and response mechanisms to prototype the core elements of a network cybersecurity framework.

The given guide has details on how to simulate a Network Cybersecurity Framework in NS2:

Step-by-Step Implementation:

  1. Set Up NS2

Make sure to install the ns2 on your system. If not, you can install it using:

sudo apt-get install ns2

  1. Define the Network Topology

Start by developing a simple network that has user nodes, security elements (firewall, IDS, IPS) and a server. These components will observe the network traffic, guard sensitive data and identify possible interference.

set ns [new Simulator]

set tracefile [open cybersecurity_framework.tr w]

$ns trace-all $tracefile

# Create network nodes (user, server, attacker, and security components)

set user [$ns node]         ;# User node

set attacker [$ns node]      ;# Attacker node

set server [$ns node]        ;# Server node

set firewall [$ns node]      ;# Firewall node

set ids_node [$ns node]      ;# IDS/IPS node

# Create links between nodes

$ns duplex-link $user $firewall 1Mb 10ms DropTail  ;# User to firewall

$ns duplex-link $attacker $firewall 1Mb 10ms DropTail  ;# Attacker to firewall

$ns duplex-link $firewall $ids_node 1Mb 10ms DropTail  ;# Firewall to IDS

$ns duplex-link $ids_node $server 1Mb 10ms DropTail  ;# IDS to server

  1. Simulate Network Traffic

We will mimic normal and malevolent traffic flowing through the network, with the security components guarding, identifying, and reacting to challenges.

(A) Simulate Normal Traffic

Normal traffic will be delivered from the user to the server.

# Set up UDP agents for normal traffic (user to server)

set udp_user [new Agent/UDP]

set udp_server [new Agent/Null]

$ns attach-agent $user $udp_user

$ns attach-agent $server $udp_server

$ns connect $udp_user $udp_server

# Create a traffic generator to simulate normal traffic

set cbr_user [new Application/Traffic/CBR]

$cbr_user set packetSize_ 512

$cbr_user set rate_ 1Mb

$cbr_user attach-agent $udp_user

# Start normal traffic at 1.0 seconds

$ns at 1.0 “$cbr_user start”

(B) Simulate Malicious Traffic

Mischievous traffic will be produced by the attacker and targeted at the server. The firewall and IDS will see and react to this traffic.

# Set up UDP agents for malicious traffic (attacker to server)

set udp_attacker [new Agent/UDP]

set udp_malicious [new Agent/Null]

$ns attach-agent $attacker $udp_attacker

$ns attach-agent $server $udp_malicious

$ns connect $udp_attacker $udp_malicious

# Create a traffic generator to simulate malicious traffic

set cbr_attacker [new Application/Traffic/CBR]

$cbr_attacker set packetSize_ 1024  ;# Simulate larger malicious traffic

$cbr_attacker set rate_ 512Kb

$cbr_attacker attach-agent $udp_attacker

# Start malicious traffic at 2.0 seconds

$ns at 2.0 “$cbr_attacker start”

  1. Implement Firewalls and Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS)

The firewall defends the network by filtering arriving traffic in terms of specified rules, and the IDS identify suspicious behavior.

(A) Firewall Protection

The firewall filters traffic according to the packet size and can block specific types of traffic that seem suspicious or too large.

# Function to simulate firewall filtering based on packet size

proc firewall_filter {packet_size threshold} {

if { $packet_size > $threshold } {

puts “Firewall: Blocking traffic with packet size $packet_size”

return 1  ;# Traffic blocked

} else {

puts “Firewall: Allowing traffic with packet size $packet_size”

return 0  ;# Traffic allowed

}

}

# Set a packet size threshold for the firewall (e.g., 512 bytes)

set threshold 512

# Simulate firewall inspecting traffic

$ns at 1.5 “firewall_filter 512 $threshold”   ;# Normal traffic (allowed)

$ns at 2.5 “firewall_filter 1024 $threshold”  ;# Malicious traffic (blocked)

(B) Intrusion Detection System (IDS)

The IDS examines traffic after the firewall and detects any intrusion patterns. It raises alerts and records incidents.

# Function to simulate IDS detection based on traffic patterns

proc ids_detect {packet_size threshold} {

if { $packet_size > $threshold } {

puts “IDS: Intrusion detected! Packet size $packet_size exceeds threshold”

return 1  ;# Intrusion detected

} else {

puts “IDS: Normal traffic”

return 0  ;# No intrusion detected

}

}

# Simulate IDS inspecting traffic at the IDS node

$ns at 3.0 “ids_detect 1024 $threshold”  ;# Malicious traffic (detected by IDS)

  1. Implement Incident Response

When the IDS detects an interruption, it activates an incident response, which could involve logging the event, blocking further traffic, or alerting the network administrator.

# Function to simulate incident response

proc incident_response {component threat_level description} {

puts “$component: Incident response triggered! Threat level: $threat_level – $description”

}

# Simulate response when IDS detects an intrusion

$ns at 3.1 “incident_response ‘IDS’ ‘High’ ‘Suspicious traffic detected, immediate response initiated'”

  1. Simulate Encryption and Decryption

To defend sensitive data, the user encrypts traffic before delivering it to the server, and the server decrypts it upon receipt.

(A) Encrypt Traffic at the User

Imitate encryption before sending data to the server.

# Function to simulate encryption of a message

proc encrypt_traffic {message encryption_key} {

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

return “encrypted_$message”

}

# Simulate encrypting a message at the user node

set encryption_key “secure_key_123”

set message “Hello, secure server!”

$ns at 1.0 “set encrypted_message [encrypt_traffic $message $encryption_key]”

(B) Decrypt Traffic at the Server

The server decrypts the encrypted traffic to recover the actual message.

# Function to simulate decryption of a message

proc decrypt_traffic {encrypted_message decryption_key} {

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

return “decrypted_message”

}

 

# Simulate decrypting the message at the server

$ns at 2.0 “set decrypted_message [decrypt_traffic $encrypted_message $encryption_key]”

  1. Log Security Events

Store all security-based as well as firewall actions, IDS detections, encryption processes, and incident responses.

# Function to log security-related events

proc log_security_event {time event description} {

puts “$time: $event – $description”

}

# Log firewall, IDS, and incident response events

$ns at 1.5 “log_security_event 1.5 ‘Firewall’ ‘Allowed normal traffic'”

$ns at 2.5 “log_security_event 2.5 ‘Firewall’ ‘Blocked malicious traffic'”

$ns at 3.0 “log_security_event 3.0 ‘IDS’ ‘Detected intrusion'”

$ns at 3.1 “log_security_event 3.1 ‘Incident Response’ ‘Immediate response initiated by IDS'”

$ns at 1.0 “log_security_event 1.0 ‘Encryption’ ‘Traffic encrypted by user'”

$ns at 2.0 “log_security_event 2.0 ‘Decryption’ ‘Traffic decrypted by server'”

  1. Run the Simulation

After the script is ready, execute the simulation using NS2:

ns your_script.tcl

  1. Analyze the Results

After execution, analyse the trace file (cybersecurity_framework.tr) and the console result to certify:

  • Normal traffic was granted through the firewall and reached the server.
  • Malicious traffic was congested by the firewall and identified by the IDS.
  • Incident response was triggered by the IDS, storing the intrusion and responding properly.
  • Traffic was successfully encrypted at the user node and decrypted at the server.

NAM (Network Animator) is used to visualize how the network traffic flows and how the security framework elements (firewalls, IDS) respond to attacks.

  1. Extend the Simulation

You can extend this simulation by:

  • Adding more security layers: Accomplish additional security layers like access control, VPNs, or two-factor authentication.
  • Simulating more attacks: Mimic attacks like Man-in-the-Middle (MITM), Denial of Service (DoS), or SQL injection to assess the framework’s resilience.
  • Integrating more advanced detection mechanisms: Enhance threat detection precision by using machine learning-based detection or anomaly detection techniques.
  • Measuring network performance: Evaluate how security features affect network performance includes latency, throughput, and packet loss under various security conditions.

Through this set up, you can utterly learn and concentrate on how to implement the Cybersecurity Frameworks inside the network by applying security mechanisms like encryption and decryption in the ns2 simulation environment and also establish the Firewalls and Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) to detect abnormal behaviors.

Keep connected with our development team for top-notch implementation advice. We specialize in features such as firewalls, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), encryption, access control, and incident detection and response strategies tailored to your projects. Reach out to us for the best research ideas!