<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<article article-type="Research Article">
  <front>
    <journal-meta>
      <journal-id journal-id-type="publisher">journal-of-discrete-mathematical-sciences-and-cryptography</journal-id>
      <journal-title-group>
        <journal-title>Journal of Discrete Mathematical Sciences and Cryptography</journal-title>
      </journal-title-group>
      <issn publication-format="electronic">2169-0065</issn>
      <issn publication-format="print">0972-0529</issn>
      <publisher>
        <publisher-name>Taru Publications</publisher-name>
      </publisher>
    </journal-meta>
    <article-meta>
      <article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.47974/JDMSC-2639</article-id>
      <title-group>
        <article-title>Trust-aware ad hoc network security using random bit operations and RC4 stream cipher framework</article-title>
      </title-group>
      <contrib-group>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Vats</surname>
            <given-names>Prashant</given-names>
          </name>
          <aff>Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur, Rajasthan, 303007, India</aff>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Tewari</surname>
            <given-names>Naveen</given-names>
          </name>
          <aff>Department of Computer Applications, School of Computing, Graphic Era Hill University, Bhimtal Campus, Nagri Gaon, Uttarakhand, 263132, India</aff>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Shanker</surname>
            <given-names>Surabhi</given-names>
          </name>
          <aff>Centre of Excellence - Cyber Security, School of Engineering and Technology, K. R. Mangalam University, Gurugram, Haryana, 122103, India</aff>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Srivastava</surname>
            <given-names>Devesh Kumar</given-names>
          </name>
          <aff>Department of Information Technology, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur, Rajasthan, 303007, India</aff>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Saini</surname>
            <given-names>Madan  Lal</given-names>
          </name>
          <aff>Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Apex Institute of Technology (AIT), Chandigarh University, Mohali, Punjab, 140413, India</aff>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author" corresp="yes">
          <name>
            <surname>Saini</surname>
            <given-names>Ashok Kumar</given-names>
          </name>
          <aff>Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur, Rajasthan, 303007, India</aff>
        </contrib>
      </contrib-group>
      <volume>29</volume>
      <issue>8</issue>
      <fpage>3027</fpage>
      <lpage>3036</lpage>
      <pub-date date-type="pub">
        <day>14</day>
        <month>08</month>
        <year>2026</year>
      </pub-date>
      <abstract>
        <p>In dynamic and decentralized environments such as ad hoc networks, ensuring secure communication and mutual trust among nodes presents a significant challenge due to the absence of centralized control and frequent topology changes. This paper proposes a Trust-Aware Security Framework that integrates Random Bit Operations with the RC4 Stream Cipher to enhance confidentiality, authenticity, and trustworthiness in node-to-node communication. The proposed model employs random bit manipulation during the key generation and encryption phases to increase entropy and resist statistical and correlation attacks typically associated with traditional RC4 implementations.</p>
      </abstract>
      <kwd-group>
        <kwd>Ad hoc networks</kwd>
        <kwd>Mutual trust</kwd>
        <kwd>RC4 stream cipher</kwd>
        <kwd>Random bit operations</kwd>
        <kwd>Cryptographic security</kwd>
        <kwd>Key randomness</kwd>
        <kwd>Node authentication</kwd>
        <kwd>Lightweight encryption</kwd>
        <kwd>Trust management</kwd>
        <kwd>Secure communication</kwd>
      </kwd-group>
      <custom-meta-group>
        <custom-meta>
          <meta-name>access</meta-name>
          <meta-value>open</meta-value>
        </custom-meta>
        <custom-meta>
          <meta-name>retracted</meta-name>
          <meta-value>no</meta-value>
        </custom-meta>
      </custom-meta-group>
    </article-meta>
  </front>
</article>
