eISSN: 3087-4262 editor@aimjournals.com
All Journals
Submit your article

International Journal of Intelligent Data and Machine Learning

Open Access Peer Review International
Open Access

Architectural Frameworks and Security Challenges in Wireless Sensor Networks: A Critical Review

DOI
PDF
Dr. Eleanor Vance 1 , Dr. Kenji Sato 1 ,
4 Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Institute of Advanced Technology, Geneva, Switzerland
4 Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Kyoto-Osaka University, Kyoto, Japan

Abstract

Background: Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are integral to modern data collection, enabling real-time monitoring across diverse fields such as environmental tracking, healthcare, and smart infrastructure. These networks consist of resource-constrained nodes deployed to collect and transmit data, offering unprecedented opportunities for ubiquitous sensing. However, their unique characteristics present significant architectural and security challenges that must be addressed to ensure reliable and widespread adoption.

Methods: This comprehensive review synthesizes and critically analyzes existing literature on WSNs, focusing on their core architectural design and security vulnerabilities. It examines the fundamental components of sensor nodes, explores strategies for enhancing network lifetime through energy-efficient protocols and hardware, and discusses the critical need for reliable data transport. Furthermore, the review identifies key security threats and evaluates specialized security protocols designed to protect these resource-limited systems. The analysis is supported by a wide range of real-world application examples to illustrate the practical implications of these design and security considerations.

Results: The review highlights that WSN architecture is fundamentally defined by the need for low-power, cost-effective operation, with energy efficiency being the most significant constraint [2, 24]. Solutions like power-aware routing and dynamic reconfiguration are crucial for extending network lifetime [17]. Concurrently, the inherent vulnerabilities of WSNs to attacks necessitate specialized security protocols, such as SPINS, to ensure data confidentiality and integrity without exhausting limited resources [8, 11]. The article demonstrates that achieving a balance between robust security, power optimization, and adaptability is key to the long-term resilience of WSNs.

Conclusion: Advances in hardware platforms, algorithmic efficiency, and secure communication protocols are essential to unlock the full potential of WSNs. Future research directions should focus on integrating AI and machine learning for self-healing, autonomous networks that can optimize energy use and enhance security at scale. This holistic approach is vital for the successful deployment of reliable, resilient, and secure WSNs .

Keywords

Wireless Sensor Networks, Network Architecture, Security Protocols

References

📄 Akyildiz, I. F. (2002). Wireless sensor networks: a survey. Computer Networks (Elsevier), 38(4), 393-422.
📄 Cardei, M., & Du, D. Z. (2005). Improving wireless sensor network lifetime through power aware organization. Wireless Networks, 11(3), 333-340.
📄 Chen, M. M., Majidi, C., Doolin, D. M., Glaser, S., & Sitar, N. (2004). Design and construction of a wildfire instrumentation system using networked sensors. Network Embedded Systems Technology (NEST) Retreat, Oakland, California.
📄 Free programmable status LED, T. Atmel AVR2030: ATRF231USB – Hardware User Manual.
📄 Hill, J., Horton, M., Kling, R., & Krishnamurthy, L. (2004). The platforms enabling wireless sensor networks. Communications of the ACM, 47(6), 41-46.
📄 Hill, J. L. (2003). System architecture for wireless sensor networks. University of California, Berkeley.
📄 Mainwaring, A., Culler, D., Polastre, J., Szewczyk, R., & Anderson, J. (2002). Wireless sensor networks for habitat monitoring. In Proceedings of the 1st ACM International Workshop on Wireless Sensor Networks and Applications (pp. 88-97).
📄 Perrig, A., Szewczyk, R., Wen, V., Culler, D., & Tygar, J. (2001). SPINS: Security protocols for sensor networks. In Proceedings of the 7th Annual International Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking (pp. 189-199).
📄 Ritter, H., Schiller, J., Voigt, T., Dunkels, A., & Alonso, J. (2005). Experimental evaluation of lifetime bounds for wireless sensor networks. In Proceedings of the Second European Workshop on Wireless Sensor Networks (pp. 25-32). IEEE.
📄 Stankovic, J. A. (2004). Research challenges for wireless sensor networks. ACM SIGBED Review, 1(2), 9-12.
📄 Westhoff, D., Girao, J., & Sarma, A. (2006). Security solutions for wireless sensor networks. NEC Technical Journal, 1(3), 106-111.
📄 Werner-Allen, G., Lorincz, K., Johnson, J., Lees, J., & Welsh, M. (2006). Fidelity and yield in a volcano monitoring sensor network. In Proceedings of the 7th Symposium on Operating Systems Design and Implementation (pp. 381-396).
📄 Werner-Allen, G., Lorincz, K., Ruiz, M., Marcillo, O., Johnson, J., Lees, J., & Welsh, M. (2006). Deploying a wireless sensor network on an active volcano. IEEE Internet Computing, 10(2), 18-25.
📄 Wang, H., Elson, J., Girod, L., Estrin, D., & Yao, K. (2003). Target classification and localization in habitat monitoring. In 2003 IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing (ICASSP '03) (Vol. 4, pp. IV-844). IEEE.
📄 Li, M., Ganesan, D., & Shenoy, P. (2009). PRESTO: Feedback-driven data management in sensor networks. IEEE/ACM Transactions on Networking, 17(4), 1256-1269.
📄 Vales-Alonso, J., López-Matencio, P., Gonzalez-Castaño, F. J., Navarro-Hellín, H., Baños-Guirao, P. J., Pérez-Martínez, F. J., ... & Duro-Fernández, R. (2010). Ambient intelligence systems for personalized sport training. Sensors, 10(3), 2359-23185.
📄 Nahapetian, A., Lombardo, P., Acquaviva, A., Benini, L., & Sarrafzadeh, M. (2007). Dynamic reconfiguration in sensor networks with regenerative energy sources. In 2007 Design, Automation & Test in Europe Conference & Exhibition (pp. 1-6). IEEE.
📄 Polastre, J. (2004). The mote revolution: Low power wireless sensor network devices. In Proc. Hot Chips 16: A Symposium on High Performance Chips.
📄 Lorincz, K., Malan, D. J., Fulford-Jones, T. R., Nawoj, A., Clavel, A., Shnayder, V., ... & Moulton, S. (2004). Sensor networks for emergency response: Challenges and opportunities. IEEE Pervasive Computing, 3(4), 16-23.
📄 Muslm, I. F. (2024). Identification for wireless sensor networks. Journal of Advance Multidisciplinary Research, 3(2), 16-20.
📄 Paksuniemi, M., Sorvoja, H., Alasaarela, E., & Myllyla, R. (2006). Wireless sensor and data transmission needs and technologies for patient monitoring in the operating room and intensive care unit. In 2005 IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology 27th Annual Conference (pp. 5182-5185). IEEE.
📄 Willig, A., & Karl, H. (2005). Data transport reliability in wireless sensor networks: A survey of issues and solutions.
📄 Karpinski, M., Senart, A., & Cahill, V. (2006). Sensor networks for smart roads. In Fourth Annual IEEE International Conference on Pervasive Computing and Communications Workshops (pp. 306-310). IEEE.
📄 Bhardwaj, M., & Chandrakasan, A. P. (2001). Upper bounds on the lifetime of wireless sensor networks. In Proc. IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC) (Vol. 1).
📄 Dip Bharatbhai Patel. (2025). Incorporating Augmented Reality into Data Visualization for Real-Time Analytics. Utilitas Mathematica, 122(1), 3216–3230. Retrieved from https://utilitasmathematica.com/index.php/Index/article/view/2690

Similar Articles

1-10 of 17

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.