Authors: Associate Professor Dr. Channakeshava RN
Abstract: Cooperative Intelligent Transportation Systems (C-ITS) and Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) rely heavily on real-time, reliable data exchange to enhance road safety and traffic efficiency. However, their high-mobility topologies, dynamic wireless channels, and resource-constrained vehicular nodes introduce significant security, trust, and communication challenges. This work explores the integration of lightweight cryptographic frameworks to secure resource-limited IoT and vehicular devices without imposing severe computational overhead. Furthermore, it examines advanced trust management and reputation systems designed to detect malicious nodes, mitigate packet dropping, and safeguard data dissemination. To address time-sensitive safety message delivery, the study synthesizes selective multicast and geographic routing protocols tailored to high-mobility architectures, balancing secure multi-hop communication with strict latency constraints. By bridging lightweight security, trust evaluation, and efficient routing, this framework lays the foundation for robust, scalable, and resilient C-ITS ecosystems.
