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Security is a basic requirement for mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) in order for users to perform protected peer-to-peer communication over multi-hop wireless channel. Depending on the application context, a user may desire various security services such as confidentiality, authentication, integrity, nonrepudiation, and access control. As a basis to support these services, the functionality of a MANET to deliver data bits from one node to another must be protected at the first place. Unlike wired networks that have dedicated routers, MANET has no infrastructure support; each mobile node may function as a router and forward packets for other nodes. The wireless medium is open and incurs far more dynamics than in wired networks. These characteristics present a set of unique challenges to secure a MANET:

• No clear line of defense—MANET does not offer a clear line of defense. There is no well-defined place/infrastructure where we may deploy a single security solution. Moreover, the wireless channel is accessible to both legitimate users and malicious attackers. The boundary that separates the inside network from the outside world becomes blurred.