Enhancing the Sustainability and Security of Mobile Ad Hoc Networks for Intelligent Transport Systems Using a Secure Energy-Efficient Routing Protocol

Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) represent collaborative networks formed by mobile nodes without a centralised infrastructure, finding applications across diverse domains, including military and security-sensitive operations. MANET is an essential application of many modern transportation and intelligent systems, especially on the Internet of Things (IoT), for dynamic traffic management and remote monitoring. However, securing the routing process within MANETs poses significant challenges due to the absence of a central authority and the dynamic nature of the network. However, their potential gets hampered by inefficient routing, energy depletion and insecure communication. The SPEED protocol (secure proactive energy efficient determinant protocol) with PSO for adaptive route selection and PPF-AES for secure communication is introduced. SPEED optimises network performance by addressing energy efficiency and providing secure data transmission so that latency during transmissions is reduced, network lifetime is extended, and throughput is enhanced. The simulation results indicate a 96.8% improvement in throughput and a 98.7% validation efficiency compared to the existing protocols. This proposed protocol establishes a viable solution toward sustainable and secure communication frameworks in transportation systems for next-generation intelligent transport systems (ITS) and urban mobility.