Abstract
Most existing research regarding sensor network security considers homogenous sensor networks. To achieve better security and performance, we adopt a heterogeneous sensor network (HSN) model that consists of physically different types of sensor nodes. In this paper, we present an efficient key distribution scheme for HSNs, which takes advantage of powerful high-end sensor nodes. The scheme establishes a secure communication topology in the network in an efficient and secure manner. We show that the scheme has smaller memory requirements than a popular key distribution scheme and it is more resilient against the node compromise attack.