Hybrid ECC-ASCON Security Framework-based Lightweight Encryption Model for Improving Security in WSN

Abstract

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) deployed in Internet of Things (IoT) environments require communication mechanisms that ensure robust security while operating within stringent computational, memory, and energy constraints. Conventional cryptographic techniques often impose considerable processing overhead, limiting their suitability for resource-constrained sensor nodes. This paper proposes a hybrid lightweight security framework that integrates Advanced LEACH-based clustering, Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC), Elliptic Curve Diffie–Hellman (ECDH) key establishment, HKDF-SHA256 key derivation, and ASCON-AEAD128 authenticated encryption to achieve secure and energy-efficient data communication in WSNs. In the proposed framework, ECDH establishes a shared secret between communicating nodes, which is transformed into a 128-bit symmetric session key using HKDF-SHA256. The derived session key is subsequently employed by ASCON-AEAD128 to provide authenticated encryption, thereby ensuring data confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity with minimal computational overhead. To further enhance network sustainability, an energy-aware dynamic key rotation mechanism is introduced that adapts key updates according to residual node energy and communication requirements, thereby maintaining key freshness while minimizing unnecessary rekeying operations. The proposed framework was implemented using Python and evaluated through NS-3 simulations with packet payloads extracted from PCAP traces to emulate realistic WSN communication scenarios. Experimental results demonstrate that the framework consistently achieves a Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR) of approximately 98%, maintains an average key expansion time of approximately 29 ms for 256-bit key generation, and limits average energy consumption to nearly 247 µJ across network sizes ranging from 10 to 100 sensor nodes. The findings demonstrate that the proposed framework effectively combines lightweight authenticated encryption, secure key management, and energy-aware communication to provide reliable, scalable, and computationally efficient security for IoT-enabled Wireless Sensor Networks.