How to Start Intrusion Prevention System Projects Using NS3

To start an Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) project using NS3 which needs to configure a network a network environment in which replicated attacks are identified and mitigated within real-time. An IPS can be used some methods such as packet filtering, anomaly detection, and threshold-based responses, avoiding attacks. Given below is an in-depth technique to initiating and executing an IPS project in NS3.

Steps to Start Intrusion Prevention System Projects in NS3

  1. Define Project Objectives and Scope
  • Identify IPS Techniques:
    • Signature-Based Detection: Identify known attack patterns with the help of predefined signatures.
    • Anomaly-Based Detection: For deviations, we need to observe from normal traffic patterns, detecting suspicious activity.
    • Threshold-Based Detection: Configure thresholds for specific traffic parameters such as packet rate, connection attempts and block traffic as thresholds are surpassed.
    • Behavioral Analysis: Monitor node behaviors and block activities, which are unusual or suspicious like several login attempts failure.
  • Define Key Performance Metrics:
    • Detection Accuracy: We can estimate the true positives (correctly detected attacks), false positives, and false negatives.
    • Response Time: Assess the time it obtains for the IPS, identifying and replying to an attack.
    • Network Performance Impact: Measure how the IPS impacts the network performance like latency, throughput, and resource usage.
    • Blocking Effectiveness: Monitor how well the IPS obstructs attacks whereas permitting the legitimate traffic.
  1. Install and Set Up NS3
  • Download NS3: Go to official NS3 website then download the new version of NS3.
  • Install NS3: We adhere to installation guidelines and check with example scripts.
  • Optional External Libraries: If utilising the machine learning for anomaly detection then we install Python and libraries such as Scikit-Learn or TensorFlow.
  1. Design the Network Topology
  • Select Topology Layout:
    • Star or Tree Topology: A single server on the center including several clients, to replicate the centralized IPS, defending a target.
    • Multi-Segment Network: Configure diverse network segments such as LAN, DMZ that associated by routers permitting for layered defense.
    • Decentralized or Mesh Network: It is helpful for experimenting the IPS within environments such as IoT or MANET.
  • Configure Nodes and Devices:
    • Make nodes like clients, servers, routers, and IPS nodes using NodeContainer.
    • For wired configurations, we utilize CsmaHelper and use WifiHelper for wireless setups.
  1. Implement IPS Detection and Prevention Mechanisms
  • Signature-Based Detection:
    • Select certain packet patterns like SYN flood, port scans, which the IPS will be observed. If a packet fits a known signature, then it obstructs by IPS.
    • For instance, a SYN flood should identify by measuring the SYN packets without respective ACK packets in a particular time frame.
  • Threshold-Based Detection:
    • Adjust limits on packet rates or connection attempts. IPS will proceed like block the IP or drop packets as these limits are surpassed.
    • This approach can utilize for identifying the DDoS attacks by establishing a high packet threshold from a single IP in a short time frame.
  • Anomaly Detection:
    • Identify the anomalies within packet sizes, connection frequency, or packet intervals to utilize statistical thresholds.
    • For more advanced configurations, transfer information to an external environment for machine learning-based anomaly detection like Python.
  • Real-Time Block Lists:
    • Keep a blocked IPs or MAC addresses’ list, which take on suspicious activity criteria.
    • If they show repeated attacks, and discard packets from these IPs within the future, append IPs to this block list.
  1. Simulate Cyber Threats for IPS Testing
  • DDoS Attack:
    • Transmit high-rate UDP or TCP traffic to a single target utilizing several nodes to replicate a DDoS attack. Observe how the IPS detects and blocks excessive demands.
  • Port Scanning:
    • Set a node to examine several ports on a target node. The IPS should be identified the scanning pattern and block the source IP.
  • Brute-Force Login Attempts:
    • Replicate the repeated login attempts by transmitting several connection demands from one IP. The IPS would identify this behaviour and after a threshold is surpassed, block the IP.
  • Data Exfiltration:
    • Configure a node, transmitting packets occasionally that includes sensitive information to an unauthorized destination. Experiment if the IPS can be identified and blocked this unauthorized transfer.
  1. Implement IPS Monitoring and Response Functions
  • Packet Inspection and Filtering:
    • Configure packet inspection at critical nodes, for suspicious packet headers, payload sizes, or other characteristics to observe.
    • According to the predefined rules or patterns, drop packets to utilize PacketFilter.
  • Traffic Rate Monitoring:
    • Configure traffic rate to observe on nodes identifying the unusual spikes within packet rates like those seen within DDoS attacks.
    • Describe custom functions to calculate the packets for each second, to cause an alert or block once thresholds are surpassed.
  • Custom Packet Blocker:
    • Execute a blocking function, from suspicious IPs which examines the packets and discards.
    • Keep a suspicious Ips block list, to drop the packets from these IPs without advance inspection.
  1. Set Up Application Layer for Realistic Traffic
  • Normal Traffic Simulation:
    • Replicate normal user traffic to utilize applications such as UdpEchoClient/UdpEchoServer or OnOffApplication.
    • Make various kinds of legitimate traffic patterns like browsing, file downloads, and messaging, for detection offering a baseline.
  • Malicious Traffic Simulation:
    • For DDoS utilize high-rate OnOffApplication, or make custom applications replicating the brute-force login attempts, port scanning, or unauthorized data transfers.
  1. Define and Measure Performance Metrics
  • Detection and Blocking Rate:
    • Monitor the percentage of well threat detections, false positives, and false negatives.
    • We compute the overall detection exactness and blocking effectiveness.
  • Network Performance Impact:
    • We need to estimate how the IPS impacts the network performance on latency and throughput particularly in the course of attack simulations.
  • Response Time:
    • We estimate the duration by the IPS after they start to identify and mitigate threats.
  • Resource Usage:
    • For nodes, observe CPU and memory usage to execute the IPS functionality to make sure that IPS is scalable and it does not overload the network.
  1. Simulate and Analyze Results
  • Run Simulations:
    • Experiment the detection and response in diverse attack situations and intensities.
    • Equate the network performance with and without IPS active to measure the effect.
  • Data Collection:
    • Record packet flows, blocked IPs, detection events, and network performance parameters to utilize NS3’s tracing tools.
    • Transfer logs within external tools such as Wireshark or Python for advance analysis.
  • Visualization and Reporting:
    • Envision the detection rates, network latency, and the effectiveness of the IPS to use Matplotlib or Gnuplot.
    • Make reports in detail the performance of IPS that contains detection accuracy, response times, and any influence over legitimate traffic.

Example Code Outline for a Simple IPS in NS3 with Threshold-Based Detection

Following is a simple NS3 code outline, replicating a DDoS attack and to execute a threshold-based IPS, which observe the packet rates and blocks suspicious IPs.

#include “ns3/core-module.h”

#include “ns3/network-module.h”

#include “ns3/internet-module.h”

#include “ns3/point-to-point-module.h”

#include “ns3/applications-module.h”

#include <iostream>

#include <set>

using namespace ns3;

// Set of blocked IPs for the IPS

std::set<Ipv4Address> blockedIps;

// IPS function to monitor packet rates and block IPs exceeding a threshold

void MonitorAndBlock(Ptr<Node> node, uint32_t threshold) {

Ptr<Ipv4> ipv4 = node->GetObject<Ipv4>();

uint32_t packetsReceived = ipv4->GetNReceived();

if (packetsReceived > threshold) {

Ipv4Address ip = ipv4->GetAddress(1, 0).GetLocal();

if (blockedIps.find(ip) == blockedIps.end()) {

std::cout << “Blocking IP ” << ip << ” due to high traffic (” << packetsReceived << ” packets)” << std::endl;

blockedIps.insert(ip);

}

}

Simulator::Schedule(Seconds(1.0), &MonitorAndBlock, node, threshold); // Schedule the next check

}

int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {

// Step 1: Create Nodes

NodeContainer attackers, targetNode;

attackers.Create(5); // Five attacking nodes

targetNode.Create(1); // One target node

// Step 2: Set Up Point-to-Point Links

PointToPointHelper p2p;

p2p.SetDeviceAttribute(“DataRate”, StringValue(“10Mbps”));

p2p.SetChannelAttribute(“Delay”, StringValue(“2ms”));

NetDeviceContainer devices;

for (uint32_t i = 0; i < attackers.GetN(); ++i) {

devices.Add(p2p.Install(attackers.Get(i), targetNode.Get(0)));

}

// Step 3: Install Internet Stack

InternetStackHelper internet;

internet.Install(attackers);

internet.Install(targetNode);

Ipv4AddressHelper address;

address.SetBase(“10.1.1.0”, “255.255.255.0”);

address.Assign(devices);

// Step 4: Set Up DDoS Attack Traffic

uint16_t port = 8080;

OnOffHelper onOffHelper(“ns3::UdpSocketFactory”, InetSocketAddress(Ipv4Address(“10.1.1.1”), port));

onOffHelper.SetConstantRate(DataRate(“1Mbps”)); // High-rate traffic for DDoS

ApplicationContainer attackerApps;

for (uint32_t i = 0; i < attackers.GetN(); ++i) {

attackerApps.Add(onOffHelper.Install(attackers.Get(i)));

}

attackerApps.Start(Seconds(1.0));

attackerApps.Stop(Seconds(10.0));

// Step 5: Schedule IPS Monitoring on Target Node

uint32_t packetThreshold = 100; // Set packet threshold for IPS

Simulator::Schedule(Seconds(1.0), &MonitorAndBlock, targetNode.Get(0), packetThreshold);

// Step 6: Run Simulation

Simulator::Run();

Simulator::Destroy();

return 0;

}

In this manual, we outline a detailed process, supported by coding example for initiating and simulating the Intrusion Prevention System in NS3. More information will be provided in other manual depends on your needs.

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