Abstract

Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) are wireless networks in which the mobile nodes exchange information without the help of any predefined infrastructure. In such networks also called spontaneous networks, the nodes collaborate to provide the basic network services. Due to their communication type and resources constraint, MANETs are vulnerable to diverse types of attacks and intrusions. One of the security mechanisms for MANETs is intrusion detection that consists in taking action on demand to mitigate intrusions. In this paper, we investigate intrusion detection in MANETs and some different solutions of this problem based on the approach of game theory.  Game theory is a theory of decision making under conditions of uncertainty and interdependence. Game theory is a powerful mathematical tool that analyzes the strategic interactions among multiple decision makers and the results of researches show that this subject improves the network performance. The aim of this paper is comparing some of existing methods that can be used to gain optimal intrusion detection for MANETs.

Key words: Mobile ad hoc network, intrusion detection system, game theory, life time.