A General Study on the Malware Propagation Models in Wireless Sensor Networks

The propagation of malware in wireless sensor networks has recently garnered significant attention from researchers as a pressing issue. Wireless sensor networks consist of sensor nodes interconnected in a decentralized and distributed manner via wireless connectivity. Malware attacks can raise the energy consumption of wireless sensor network sensor nodes. The propagation of the infection initiates from a single infected node and utilizes neighboring nodes to increase throughout the entirety of the wireless sensor network. Hence, a comprehensive knowledge of spreading malware patterns in wireless sensor networks is advantageous. This paper examines the current models to analyze malware propagation in wireless sensor networks. This study presents a comprehensive overview of the strategies developed over the past decade. Equation-based epidemic models are observed to accurately represent the critical characteristics of wireless sensor networks and the spread of malware within them. The vulnerability of wireless sensor networks to malware attacks poses a significant challenge due to the limited defense capabilities of sensors. Consequently, the propagation of malware within these networks concerns the security community. This study examines the most crucial and up-to-date global epidemic models to explain network malware propagation.