ABSTRACT
A WSN typically consists of one or more base stations and hundreds or even thousands of sensor nodes [1]. A typical set up is illustrated in Figure 15.1. The base station is the main storage and processing center. Requests (queries) emanate from the base station and are broadcasted to the sensor nodes, telling them what data to sense (collect), how frequently, and what to do with it. Typical uses of sensor networks include environmental monitoring applications where the nodes are spread over an area of interest and are requested (by the base station) to collect and send information of interest. This information may include temperature, humidity, wind velocity, concentration of chemicals, and so forth. We briefly discuss the specifics of sensor networks that are relevant to security. Some are robustness characteristics, others are vulnerability characteristics.
