How to Implement Network Intrusion Detection in OMNeT++
To implement a Network Intrusion Detection System (NIDS) in OMNeT++ has include making a simulation situation where network traffic is observed for suspicious activities indicative of an intrusion. The NIDS will evaluate this traffic and flag latent security breaches based on predefined rules, anomaly detection, or other approaches. Rely on omnet-manual.com team for best implementation guidance tailored to your requirements.
Steps to Implement Network Intrusion Detection in OMNeT++
- Define the Network Environment:
- Define a network that contains various nodes like the NIDS module, workstations, routers, and servers. The NIDS module will watch the traffic passing over the network.
simple WorkstationModule
{
parameters:
@display(“i=block/pc”);
gates:
inout ethg;
}
simple ServerModule
{
parameters:
@display(“i=block/server”);
gates:
inout ethg;
}
simple RouterModule
{
parameters:
@display(“i=block/router”);
gates:
inout ethg;
}
simple IntrusionDetectionModule
{
parameters:
@display(“i=block/shield”);
gates:
inout monitorGate;
}
network IntrusionDetectionNetwork
{
submodules:
workstation: WorkstationModule;
server: ServerModule;
router: RouterModule;
ids: IntrusionDetectionModule;
connections:
workstation.ethg <–> router.ethg[0];
server.ethg <–> router.ethg[1];
router.ethg[2] –> ids.monitorGate; // Mirror traffic to the IDS
}
- Simulate Normal and Malicious Traffic:
- Mimic both normal network operations and malicious activities, like DDoS attacks, port scanning, unauthorized access attempts, or malware communication.
class WorkstationModule : public cSimpleModule {
protected:
virtual void initialize() override {
// Start generating traffic
scheduleAt(simTime() + par(“startTime”), new cMessage(“generateTraffic”));
}
virtual void handleMessage(cMessage *msg) override {
if (strcmp(msg->getName(), “generateTraffic”) == 0) {
generateTraffic();
scheduleAt(simTime() + par(“interval”), msg);
} else {
cPacket *pkt = check_and_cast<cPacket*>(msg);
processPacket(pkt);
delete pkt;
}
}
void generateTraffic() {
cPacket *normalPkt = new cPacket(“normalTraffic”);
send(normalPkt, “ethg$o”);
// Simulate malicious traffic
if (uniform(0, 1) < par(“maliciousProbability”)) {
cPacket *maliciousPkt = new cPacket(“maliciousTraffic”);
maliciousPkt->addPar(“isMalicious”) = true;
send(maliciousPkt, “ethg$o”);
EV << “Simulating malicious activity” << endl;
}
}
void processPacket(cPacket *pkt) {
EV << “Packet received: ” << pkt->getName() << endl;
}
};
- Implement the Intrusion Detection Logic:
- Improve the Intrusion Detection Module (IDS) that observes network traffic for signs of intrusions. The IDS can identify intrusions based on signature matching, anomaly detection, or behaviour analysis.
class IntrusionDetectionModule : public cSimpleModule {
private:
int intrusionDetections = 0;
int falsePositives = 0;
int falseNegatives = 0;
protected:
virtual void handleMessage(cMessage *msg) override {
cPacket *pkt = check_and_cast<cPacket*>(msg);
if (detectIntrusion(pkt)) {
intrusionDetections++;
EV << “Intrusion detected: ” << pkt->getName() << endl;
} else if (pkt->par(“isMalicious”).boolValue()) {
falseNegatives++;
EV << “Missed intrusion detection: ” << pkt->getName() << endl;
} else {
falsePositives++;
EV << “False positive detected: ” << pkt->getName() << endl;
}
delete pkt;
}
bool detectIntrusion(cPacket *pkt) {
// Example detection logic: Detecting malicious packets
if (strcmp(pkt->getName(), “maliciousTraffic”) == 0) {
return true;
}
// Add more sophisticated detection logic here
return false;
}
virtual void finish() override {
recordScalar(“Intrusion Detections”, intrusionDetections);
recordScalar(“False Positives”, falsePositives);
recordScalar(“False Negatives”, falseNegatives);
EV << “Intrusion Detections: ” << intrusionDetections << endl;
EV << “False Positives: ” << falsePositives << endl;
EV << “False Negatives: ” << falseNegatives << endl;
}
};
- Implement Response Mechanisms:
- We can mimic the IDS taking actions like logging the event, sending alerts, or blocking malicious traffic after discovering an intrusion.
class IntrusionResponseModule : public cSimpleModule {
protected:
virtual void handleMessage(cMessage *msg) override {
cPacket *pkt = check_and_cast<cPacket*>(msg);
if (pkt->par(“isMalicious”).boolValue()) {
// Simulate blocking the packet
EV << “Blocking malicious packet: ” << pkt->getName() << endl;
delete pkt;
} else {
send(pkt, “ethg$o”);
}
}
};
- Simulate and Evaluate the IDS:
- Run simulations with several scenarios, containing changing levels of malicious activity. Analyse the performance of the IDS by calculating metrics like response time, false positive rate, and detection accuracy.
virtual void finish() override {
// Collect and record metrics about the IDS’s performance
}
Example Scenario: Detecting a DDoS Attack
Here, the situation is several workstations mimic a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack by transferring an extreme volume of malicious traffic to a server. The IDS monitors the traffic and identifies the DDoS attack based on the traffic patterns. The reaction module blocks the malicious traffic to save the server.
Throughout this setup, we had provided more explained steps to implement the Network Intrusion Detection using OMNeT++. We will give detailed informations regarding this topic by using various tools.