The document presents a security protocol for mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs) termed Assured Neighbor Based Security Protocol, which incorporates a trust counter mechanism at the MAC layer to manage node authentication and confidentiality of packets. It outlines the protocol's two main components: one that detects and isolates malicious nodes in the routing layer and another that employs counter mode encryption for secure packet transmission. Simulations show that this protocol improves packet delivery ratios while effectively mitigating various types of network attacks.