The term ‘Network Security’ denotes the core function of protecting the network, whether wired or wireless, prone to attack. We analysed that the network connected with the internet has the most possibility for the attack. The task or function of network security is constructed to secure a network or device’s incorporation from all types of attacks, especially external attacks. 

“An innovative tool of network simulation stands unique from the common simulation tools as it integrates the different traits based on the automated profiles like traffic analysis and attack generation.”

Network security combines both the technologies of software and hardware to protect the assigned network by identifying the difference among the network attack types that malicious attackers perform.

“In this article, we are discussed to see the necessary function of network security simulations, the various types and performance of simulation tools, and the importance of our exploration in the hopeful simulation platforms.”

What are network security threats?

            The main aim of cyber-attacks is to intrude the network or a system to gain access by using the vulnerabilities. The reason for this obscene behaviour is to steal sensitive data and to execute other attacks’ like preventing the user from logging in the system by locking the device’s screen to deny the system service. The attackers use such effective chances for the attackers for unauthorized access to the systems or properties.

What is simulation network security?

As the software of Network security elements deserves a vital role in the cybersecurity field, the network security simulators are also important as they are ‘great in identifying the intrusion and developing the overlapping security frameworks and analysing the network security. Our in-depth examination of the function of emulation/network security simulation tools and cyber-physical environment threats found that one simulation/emulation tool is not enough for effective performance. 

Thus, we suggest the inefficiency in handling the threat can be treated by combining a cyber-component tool with a power grid physical component, such as MATLAB, Omnet++, Emulab, and NS-2. But selecting the appropriate simulation platform still remains unpredictable.

Emerging Technologies Enabling Network Security

• Smart Sensor networks
• Edge computing
• Fog computing
• Ad Hoc Networks
• IoT
• CPPS (Cyber Physical Production Systems)
• Smart factories
• Industry 4.0

The attacks in network security are enormous in the case of external and internal. But on our investigation about the end goals of the attack, we categorized it on the basis of passive attacks and active attacks. 

Types of Network Security Attacks

• Passive attacks includes
  • Analysis of traffic
  • Breach of data
• Active attack includes
  • Message changes
  • Replay
  • Masquerade

The tenacity of the passive attacks is to compromise the security of the network packets by monitoring their behaviours on the sensitive data transmission. And the active attack aims to finish the functions of the network that their established base stations compromise.

How to defend against network attacks?

• Authenticating hardware
• Digital fingerprinting
• Verifying digital signature
• Intrusion detection using the algorithm by DL and ML
• Access control based on Blockchain Technology
• Lightweight encryption such as XTEA and TEA
• Secure against physical layer attacks
• Use of strong stream technique and distributed spectrum
• Using encryption against eavesdropping
• Mitigate spoofing, MITM by using authorized digital signature

Here we provide you the major types of attacks by categorizing them on the basis of their “attacking targets and their types.” The target of the attack differs according to the intentions of the hacker. But the threats caused by the attacks remain the same. The main objective of every hacker lies in stealing misusing the data to as we discussed previously. Here are the major targets and their attacking types. 

Types of Networking Attacks

• Targeting Wireless Network
  • Availability attacks
  • Integrity attacks
  • Privacy attacks
• Targeting LTE security
  • Modifying data and control plane
  • eNB attacks, UE USIM tracking, unauthorized access
• Targeting Wireless communication
  • Mitigation and packet implantation
  • Desynchronizing attack
  • Eavesdropping
  • Identity forgery
• Targeting Heterogeneous Network
  • False base station attack, SNID eavesdropping
  • Unprotected SNID
  • Unprotected authentication vectors between ME and HSS
• Targeting Cellular Networks
  • Malicious activities of subscriber
  • Unprotected authentication vector EPS-AKA
• Targeting WLAN-LTE
  • External attacks with cooperative malicious relay or device
  • External attacks without cooperation
  • Internal attacks

The above targets included the action of the attackers on their targeted networks, respectively. Other than the mentioned targets, we provide you some other major networking targets used by the attackers.

Networking Targets by Attackers

• Core network attacks that include eNB attacks based on location
• eNB protocol attacks
• Physical attacks compromising eNB credentials
• Unauthorized access network threat
• Threats manipulating data of control plane
• DoS related threats
• Broadcast or multicast signaling related threats
• Base station and handover related threats
• UE/USIM tracking threats
• User identity and privacy related threats

According to the topology, network structure, and type, the security attack will differ. For example, the latest Software Defined Network (SDN) will behave differently when it reacts to malicious attacks. The framework of SDN undergoes many security attacks, as reported by the security analysis. We provide you a detailed description of SDN security below,

• DoS (switching the table flow flooding with controller-switch communication)
• Configuration issues (lacking in adoption policy implementation or TLS)
• Malicious Applications (implanting scam rule for hijacking controller)
• Data modification (modifying the flow rule to redirect the packets)
• Data leakage (discovering the flow rule and forwarding policy)
• Unauthorized access (unauthenticated controller or application access)

Top 7 Potential Threats in SDN

• Administrative stations vulnerability attacks
• Vulnerability in authorization of access attacks
• Controller vulnerability attacks
• Control plane communications attacks
• Switch vulnerability attacks
• Traffic flow forging attacks

Network Security Techniques

• Lightweight Data Protection: This modest security scheme supports integrity, authentication, confidentiality and many cryptographic algorithms. But it needs to be devised on its features of low memory, controlled power and limited energy.
• Preserving Privacy: When collecting security data in networks, it should be able to conserve the location and data privacy which is needed by the physical applications too. To crack this problem, the networks demand a lightweight and efficient privacy conserving scheme.
• Detection by Synthesis:  This is considered as a major research topic yet to be discussed in security defense and network protection. It is to find out a security procedure by detecting the wide range of attacks. Even a potential detection method may dysfunction when facing simultaneous synthesis attacks.
• Detection by Accurate Distribution: This is a talented research topic as it has to be explored as it could provide more security at its point of single prevention. The scalability and efficiency of blockchain must be addressed before using it in the procedure of network security.
• Quality and Trustworthiness of Data: These are two promising research topics for data trustworthiness and data quality to prevent from malicious attacks and network environment disqualification. The process includes preventing a normal node from becoming a monitoring node by the influence of malicious nodes. The data trustworthiness is about enriching the consistency of security measurement by differentiating false data from normal data.

To conduct a network security simulation project, we must need a tool to render the efficiency and function of the security simulation. To start with simulation tools, one must have the license to use the tool. But our developers suggest you some effective and popular tools that you don’t need to get a license to use. Before initiating a project, we must encounter the following issues.

How to start network security simulation projects?

• Network security related programming packages
• Required IDEs
• Size of the disk
• Memory available in both RAM and ROM
• Operating System

The QualNet tool is ultimately for academic purposes, so we suggest open tools like NS3 Simulation and OMNeT++. But the tools we listed above have the ability to use OSI layers to simulate the high level of network security.   

• Network Analytic tools: Monitors the health of the network and the flow of information within and outside
• Anti-Malware tools: Taking preventive measures against malware attacks by password management, configuration monitoring and multi-factor authentication
• Phishing Simulators: Controls the user access to data in a network
• Intrusion Detection Prevention System: prevents unauthorized access to the network by detecting the network vulnerability
• Network monitoring tools: focuses in filtering egress and exfiltration

Top 4 Network Simulation Tools

OMNeT++

• This simulator is based on Modular and Extensible component. These functions are based on the C++ language. The attractive feature of OMNeT++ follows
  • Differentiating models for each network type
  • Simulating source-level debugging directly
  • Support in text mode and graphical editing
• OMNeT++ is good in simulating
  • 4G and 5G standards  // SimuLTE module
  • NFV, SDN, WSN, MANET
  • Body Area Networks // Castalia Module
  • Vehicular Networks // Veins Module

Cooja Simulator

• Used for: Contiki Motes and written language is C
• Good-looking Features
  • Amendment Support and Editing
  • Mode Window Options
  • Associate IP Standards

• Good at Simulating
  • Concepts and Networks based on RPL
  • 6LoWPAN Standard
  • Low Power Sensor Nodes (IoT)

Network Simulator 3

• Simulator based on Discrete Event Functions  and Languages are C++ and Python
• Attractive Features
  • Provides reproducible and controlled location
  • Individual package management
  • Network visualization by NetAnim
• Good in simulating
  • IoT and Sensor Network
  • Ad-Hoc Networks (including FANET, MANET, VANET)
  • Cellular Standards (5G, LTE, LTE-A, and also 6G)
  • Also in New Networks (CRN, SDN, NDN, ICN and more)

Network Simulator 2

• Simulator based on Event and languages used are C++ and OTcl
• Attractive Features
  • Separate Scenario Creation
  • Aids in Topology Generation
  • Supports Network Animation
• Good in simulating
  • Mobile and Vehicle Wireless Ad-hoc Networks
  • Wireless Sensor Networks and other IP based Networks

Four simulators are totally listed and described for your reference above. Each simulator is different based on the availability of its modules and libraries. For instance, the modules used in OMNeT++ are listed below.

The modules used in OMNeT++

• GNSSim
• UAVSim
• CNI_OS3
• INET framework

We analyzed the function of OMNeT++ is good in handle the following attacks

• GPS Spoofing/jamming
• DoS attack
• Jamming attack
• Attack hosts

Among the top four simulators, OMNeT++ has its importance in real-time network security. It is used in the current scenario to preserve the data in the fields of Health care, Navigation, telemetry, AHRS, Data logging, etc., by using the OMNeT’s basic and advanced model that detects statistics and dynamic attacks. Besides OMNeT++, we know other common network security simulation tools.

Other Network Security Tools

• Python / Pearl / Ruby: To handle the common tasks, many preserved tools are available in these security tools. You can also customize the feature if you want to write on your own.
• Wireshark: It helps to browse data about the details of the packet at any level of your need. It is also known as a protocol analyzer available in open multi-platform. When running it on untrusted networks, you must have a regular update to use this tool.

Before getting into a proper project, you must know the above attacks and the respective tools to be applied to overcome the attack as listed above. We hope you learned the types of attacks. The testing simulators and other network security tools can be implied to decide the attacks and detect the vulnerabilities to secure the network against the threats. If you want to know more knowledge, our world-class certified engineers in the related fields are here to help you in network security simulation project. Confirm your acceptance and use as much the input you want from us.