Understanding network behavior that undergoes challenges is essential to constructing a resilient and survivable network. Due to the mobility and wireless channel properties, it is more difficult to model and analyze mobile ad hoc networks under various challenges. In this paper, we provide a model to assess the vulnerability of mobile ad hoc networks in face of malicious attacks. We analyze comprehensive graph-theoretical properties and network performance of the dynamic networks under attacks against the critical nodes using real-world mobility traces. Motivated by minimum spanning tree and small-world networks, we propose a network enhancement strategy by adding long-range links. We compare the performance of different enhancement strategies by evaluating a list of robustness measures. Our study provides insights into the design and construction of resilient and survivable mobile ad hoc networks.
