A Novel Multi-Objective Optimization Framework for Energy-Efficient and Secure Routing in IoT-Enabled Wireless Sensor Networks: A Hybrid LEACH-Based Approach with Trust-Aware Relay Selection
Keywords:
Wireless Sensor Networks; IoT; LEACH Protocol; Cluster Head Selection; Trust Management; Energy Efficiency; Secure Routing; Fuzzy Inference SystemAbstract
This paper presents a novel hybrid routing framework that addresses the critical challenges of energy efficiency, security, and network longevity in IoT-enabled Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). The proposed framework, termed Hybrid Energy-Efficient Secure LEACH (HES-LEACH), introduces a multi-criteria decision-making approach for cluster head (CH) selection that integrates node coverage density, residual energy dynamics, and base station proximity through a weighted rank-based mechanism. Unlike conventional LEACH protocols that rely solely on probabilistic CH selection, our approach employs an adaptive threshold function that dynamically adjusts based on real-time network conditions. Furthermore, we propose a Trust-Aware Secure Routing (TASR) mechanism that incorporates a multi-dimensional trust evaluation model comprising member trust, node quality trust, and energy trust metrics. The TASR mechanism employs a fuzzy inference system to compute composite trust scores and mitigate insider attacks, including blackhole, grayhole, and selective forwarding attacks. Extensive simulations conducted in NS-3 demonstrate that HES-LEACH achieves a 23.7% reduction in energy consumption, 18.2% improvement in packet delivery ratio, 31.5% extension in network lifetime, and 41.3% reduction in end-to-end delay compared to state-of-the-art protocols. The proposed framework is particularly suitable for large-scale IoT deployments requiring robust security and energy efficiency.
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