Satellite-Based Communications Security: A Survey of Threats, Solutions, and Research Challenges

Satellite-based Communication systems are gaining renewed momentum in Industry and Academia, thanks to innovative services introduced by leading tech companies and the promising impact they can deliver towards the global connectivity objective tackled by early 6G initiatives. On the one hand, the emergence of new manufacturing processes and radio technologies promises to reduce service costs while guaranteeing outstanding communication latency, available bandwidth, flexibility, and coverage range. On the other hand, cybersecurity techniques and solutions applied in SATCOM links should be updated to reflect the substantial advancements in attacker capabilities characterizing the last two decades. However, business urgency and opportunities are leading operators towards challenging system trade-offs, resulting in an increased attack surface and a general relaxation of the available security services. In this paper, we tackle the cited problems and present a comprehensive survey on the link-layer security threats, solutions, and challenges faced when deploying and operating SATCOM systems.Specifically, we classify the literature on security for SATCOM systems into two main branches, i.e., physical-layer security and cryptography schemes.Then, we further identify specific research domains for each of the identified branches, focusing on dedicated security issues, including, e.g., physical-layer confidentiality, anti-jamming schemes, anti-spoofing strategies, and quantum-based key distribution schemes. For each of the above domains, we highlight the most essential techniques, peculiarities, advantages, disadvantages, lessons learned, and future directions.Finally, we also identify emerging research topics whose additional investigation by Academia and Industry could further attract researchers and investors, ultimately unleashing the full potential behind ubiquitous satellite communications.Comment: 72 page

Securing internet of medical things with friendly-jamming schemes

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT)-enabled e-healthcare can complement traditional medical treatments in a flexible and convenient manner. However, security and privacy become the main concerns of IoMT due to the limited computational capability, memory space and energy constraint of medical sensors, leading to the in-feasibility for conventional cryptographic approaches, which are often computationally-complicated. In contrast to cryptographic approaches, friendly jamming (Fri-jam) schemes will not cause extra computing cost to medical sensors, thereby becoming potential countermeasures to ensure security of IoMT. In this paper, we present a study on using Fri-jam schemes in IoMT. We first analyze the data security in IoMT and discuss the challenges. We then propose using Fri-jam schemes to protect the confidential medical data of patients collected by medical sensors from being eavesdropped. We also discuss the integration of Fri-jam schemes with various communication technologies, including beamforming, Simultaneous Wireless Information and Power Transfer (SWIPT) and full duplexity. Moreover, we present two case studies of Fri-jam schemes in IoMT. The results of these two case studies indicate that the Fri-jam method will significantly decrease the eavesdropping risk while leading to no significant influence on legitimate transmission

A Testbed for Developing and Evaluating GNSS Signal Authentication Techniques

An experimental testbed has been created for developing and evaluating Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal authentication techniques. The testbed advances the state of the art in GNSS signal authentication by subjecting candidate techniques to the strongest publicly-acknowledged GNSS spoofing attacks. The testbed consists of a real-time phase-coherent GNSS signal simulator that acts as spoofer, a real-time softwaredefined GNSS receiver that plays the role of defender, and post-processing versions of both the spoofer and defender. Two recently-proposed authentication techniques are analytically and experimentally evaluated: (1) a defense based on anomalous received power in a GNSS band, and (2) a cryptographic defense against estimation-and-replay-type spoofing attacks. The evaluation reveals weaknesses in both techniques; nonetheless, both significantly complicate a successful GNSS spoofing attackAerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanic

Satellite-based communications security:A survey of threats, solutions, and research challenges

Satellite-based Communication (SATCOM) systems are gaining renewed momentum in Industry and Academia, thanks to innovative services introduced by leading tech companies and the promising impact they can deliver towards the global connectivity objective tackled by early 6G initiatives. On the one hand, the emergence of new manufacturing processes and radio technologies promises to reduce service costs while guaranteeing outstanding communication latency, available bandwidth, flexibility, and coverage range. On the other hand, cybersecurity techniques and solutions applied in SATCOM links should be updated to reflect the substantial advancements in attacker capabilities characterizing the last two decades. However, business urgency and opportunities are leading operators towards challenging system trade-offs, resulting in an increased attack surface and a general relaxation of the available security services. In this paper, we tackle the cited problems and present a comprehensive survey on the link-layer security threats, solutions, and challenges faced when deploying and operating SATCOM systems. Specifically, we classify the literature on security for SATCOM systems into two main branches, i.e., physical-layer security and cryptography schemes. Then, we further identify specific research domains for each of the identified branches, focusing on dedicated security issues, including, e.g., physical-layer confidentiality, anti-jamming schemes, anti-spoofing strategies, and quantum-based key distribution schemes. For each of the above domains, we highlight the most essential techniques, peculiarities, advantages, disadvantages, lessons learned, and future directions. Finally, we also identify emerging research topics whose additional investigation by Academia and Industry could further attract researchers and investors, ultimately unleashing the full potential behind ubiquitous satellite communications.</p

Machine Learning for Intrusion Detection into Unmanned Aerial System 6G Networks

Progress in the development of wireless network technology has played a crucial role in the evolution of societies and provided remarkable services over the past decades. It remotely offers the ability to execute critical missions and effective services that meet the user\u27s needs. This advanced technology integrates cyber and physical layers to form cyber-physical systems (CPS), such as the Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), which consists of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), ground network infrastructure, communication link, etc. Furthermore, it plays a crucial role in connecting objects to create and develop the Internet of Things (IoT) technology. Therefore, the emergence of the CPS and IoT technologies provided many connected devices, generating an enormous amount of data. Consequently, the innovation of 6G technology is an urgent issue in the coming years. The 6G network architecture is an integration of the satellite network, aerial networks, terrestrial networks, and marine networks. These integrated network layers will provide new enabling technologies, for example, air interfaces and transmission technology. Therefore, integrating heterogeneous network layers guarantees an expansion strategy in the capacity that leads to low latency, ultra-high throughput, and high data rates. In the 6G network, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are expected to densely occupy aerial spaces as UAV flying base stations (UAV-FBS) that comprise the aerial network layer to offer ubiquitous connectivity and enhance the terrestrial network in remote areas where it is challenging to deploy traditional infrastructure, for example, mountain, ocean deserts, and forest. Although the aerial network layer offers benefits to facilitate governmental and commercial missions, adversaries exploit network vulnerabilities to block intercommunication among nodes by jamming attacks and violating integrity through executing spoofing attacks. This work offers a practical IDS onboard UAV intrusion detection system to detect unintentional interference, intentional interference jamming, and spoofing attacks. Integrating time series data with machine learning models is the main part of the suggested IDF to detect anomalies accurately. This integration will improve the accuracy and effectiveness of the model. The 6G network is expected to handle a high volume of data where non-malicious interference and congestion in the channel are similar to a jamming attack. Therefore, an efficient anomaly detection technique must distinguish behaviors in the drone\u27s wireless network as normal or abnormal behavior. Our suggested model comprises two layers. The first layer has the algorithm to detect the anomaly during transmission. Then it will send the initial decision to the second layer in the model, including two separated algorithms, confirming the initial decision separately (nonintentional interference such as congestion in the channel, intentional interference jamming attack, and classify the type of jamming attack, and the second algorithm confirms spoofing attack. A jamming attack is a stealthy attack that aims to exhaust battery level or block communication to make wireless UAV networks unavailable. Therefore, the UAV forcibly relies on GPS signals. In this case, the adversary triggers a spoofing attack by manipulating the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal and sending a fake signal to make UAVs estimate incorrect positions and deviate from their planning path to malicious zones. Hackers can start their malicious action either from malicious UAV nodes or the terrestrial malicious node; therefore, this work will enhance security and pave the way to start thinking about leveraging the benefit of the 6G network to design robust detection techniques for detecting multiple attacks that happen separately or simultaneously

Overview of RIS-Enabled Secure Transmission in 6G Wireless Networks

As sixth-generation (6G) wireless communication networks evolve, privacy concerns are expected due to the transmission of vast amounts of security-sensitive private information. In this context, a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) emerges as a promising technology capable of enhancing transmission efficiency and strengthening information security. This study demonstrates how RISs can play a crucial role in making 6G networks more secure against eavesdropping attacks. We discuss the fundamentals, and standardization aspects of RISs, along with an in-depth analysis of physical-layer security (PLS). Our discussion centers on PLS design using RIS, highlighting aspects like beamforming, resource allocation, artificial noise, and cooperative communications. We also identify the research issues, propose potential solutions, and explore future perspectives. Finally, numerical results are provided to support our discussions and demonstrate the enhanced security enabled by RIS.Comment: Accepted for Digital Communications and Networks(DCN