An energy-efficient and secure framework for wireless sensor networks

Abstract

In wireless sensor networks (WSNs), achieving energy efficiency, security, and minimizing route change propagation time is essential for maintaining optimal performance. This paper introduces a new approach that combines Bray Jaccard Curtis-based Calinski Harabasz k-means (BJC-CHKMeans) for clustering and Karl Pearson correlation-based egret swarm optimization algorithm (KPC-ESOA) for selecting the best cluster head (CH) and path, along with classifying long short-term memory with gated recurrent units (CLE-GRU) for detecting harmful nodes. The methodology aims to enhance energy usage, improve routing efficiency, and strengthen security by identifying malicious nodes. Additionally, it integrates a secure routing table using elbow de-swinging k-anonymity (EDS-KA) and employs digital signature algorithm-based Zeta Bernoulli Merkle tree (DSA-ZBMT) to ensure secure communication with sink nodes. The WSN-DS dataset was used for training and testing, with rigorous preprocessing, feature extraction, and selection to maintain data integrity. Experimental results revealed that the proposed BJC-CHKMeans and CLE-GRU models outperform traditional methods in power consumption, latency, and accuracy. The system achieved a power consumption of 2.1 mW for clustering and 1.9 mW for classification, while also providing near-perfect accuracy in detecting harmful nodes. These findings demonstrate that the framework significantly enhances the energy efficiency and security of WSNs, making it a highly effective solution for large, dynamic sensor networks.