Jamming Attack Resiliency and Performance Analysis of Cognitive Radio Communication Networks

Cognitive radio technology emerges as a promising solution for overcoming shortage and inefficient use of spectrum resources. In cognitive radio networks, secondary users, which are users equipped with cognitive radios, can opportunistically access spectrum assigned to primary users, the spectrum license holders. Although it improves spectrum utilization efficiency, this opportunistic spectrum access incurs undesired delays that can degrade the quality of service (QoS) of delay-sensitive applications substantially. It is therefore important to understand, model, and characterize these delays, as well as their dependency on primary user behaviors. Moreover, the lack of access priority leads to significant performance degradation when the network is under jamming attacks. It turns out that addressing jamming attacks while maintaining a desired QoS is very challenging. In this thesis, we characterize the properties of the random process that describes the availability of the opportunistic resources, and analytically model and analyze cognitive network average delays. Furthermore, we propose and study new techniques that mitigate jamming attacks in mobile cognitive radio networks. More specifically, this thesis consists of the following three complimentary frameworks:Bechir Hamdaoui1. Stochastic Resource Availability Modeling and Delay Analysis. In this framework, we define and characterize the properties of the random process that describes the availability of the opportunistic network resources. We apply the mean residual service time concept to derive an analytical solution for the cognitive network queueing delay. We model the service mechanism, and determine the manner in which it depends on spectrum availability. We show that the delay becomes unbounded if spectrum dynamics are not carefully considered in network design.2. Mitigating Jamming through Pseudorandom Time Hopping. In this framework, we propose and evaluate jamming countermeasure approaches for mobile cognitive users. We propose two time-based techniques which, unlike other existing frequency-based techniques, do not assume accessibility to multiple channels and hence do not rely on spectrum handoff to countermeasure jamming. In these two techniques, we allocate data over time based on cryptographic and estimation methods. We derive analytical expressions of the jamming, switching and error probabilities. Our findings show that our proposed technique outperforms other existing frequency-based techniques.3. Optimally Controlled Time-Hopping Anti-Jamming Technique. In this framework, we propose a jamming and environment aware resource allocation method for mobile cognitive users. We propose to mitigate jamming based on an optimal allocation of data over time. In addition, we optimally control network mobility to meet a desired QoS. Our findings show that our proposed technique achieves better QoS than those achieved by existing cryptographic methods while not compromising jamming resiliency.Keywords: Performance Analysis, Delay Analysis, Cognitive Radio Networks, Jamming Attack Resilienc

Security for 5G Mobile Wireless Networks

The advanced features of 5G mobile wireless network systems yield new security requirements and challenges. This paper presents a comprehensive survey on security of 5G wireless network systems compared to the traditional cellular networks. The paper starts with a review on 5G wireless networks particularities as well as on the new requirements and motivations of 5G wireless security. The potential attacks and security services with the consideration of new service requirements and new use cases in 5G wireless networks are then summarized. The recent development and the existing schemes for the 5G wireless security are presented based on the corresponding security services including authentication, availability, data confidentiality, key management and privacy. The paper further discusses the new security features involving different technologies applied to 5G such as heterogeneous networks, device-to-device communications, massive multiple-input multiple-output, software defined networks and Internet of Things. Motivated by these security research and development activities, we propose a new 5G wireless security architecture, based on which the analysis of identity management and flexible authentication is provided. As a case study, we explore a handover procedure as well as a signaling load scheme to show the advantage of the proposed security architecture. The challenges and future directions of 5G wireless security are finally summarized

Cognitive Security of Wireless Communication Systems in the Physical Layer

While the wireless communication systems provide the means of connectivity nearly everywhere and all the time, communication security requires more attention. Even though current efforts provide solutions to specific problems under given circumstances, these methods are neither adaptive nor flexible enough to provide security under the dynamic conditions which make the security breaches an important concern. In this paper, a cognitive security (CS) concept for wireless communication systems in the physical layer is proposed with the aim of providing a comprehensive solution to wireless security problems. The proposed method will enable the comprehensive security to ensure a robust and reliable communication in the existence of adversaries by providing adaptive security solutions in the communication systems by exploiting the physical layer security from different perspective. The adaptiveness relies on the fact that radio adapts its propagation characteristics to satisfy secure communication based on specific conditions which are given as user density, application specific adaptation, and location within CS concept. Thus, instead of providing any type of new security mechanism, it is proposed that radio can take the necessary precautions based on these conditions before the attacks occur. Various access scenarios are investigated to enable the CS while considering these conditions

Improving Security for the Internet of Things: Applications of Blockchain, Machine Learning and Inter-Pulse Interval

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a concept where physical objects of various sizes can seamlessly connect and communicate with each other without human intervention. The concept covers various applications, including healthcare, utility services, automotive/vehicular transportation, smart agriculture and smart city. The number of interconnected IoT devices has recently grown rapidly as a result of technological advancement in communications and computational systems. Consequently, this trend also highlights the need to address issues associated with IoT, the biggest risk of which is commonly known to be security. This thesis focuses on three selected security challenges from the IoT application areas of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs), Internet of Flying Things (IoFT), and human body interface and control systems (HBICS). For each of these challenges, a novel and innovative solution is proposed to address the identified problems. The research contributions of this thesis to the literature can be summarised as follows: • A blockchain-based conditionally anonymised pseudonym management scheme for CAVs, supporting multi-jurisdictional road networks. • A Sybil attack detection scheme for IoFT using machine learning carried out on intrinsically generated physical layer data of radio signals. • A potential approach of using inter-pulse interval (IPI) biometrics for frequency hopping to mitigate jamming attacks on HBICS devices

Multifunction Radios and Interference Suppression for Enhanced Reliability and Security of Wireless Systems

Wireless connectivity, with its relative ease of over-the-air information sharing, is a key technological enabler that facilitates many of the essential applications, such as satellite navigation, cellular communication, and media broadcasting, that are nowadays taken for granted. However, that relative ease of over-the-air communications has significant drawbacks too. On one hand, the broadcast nature of wireless communications means that one receiver can receive the superposition of multiple transmitted signals. But on the other hand, it means that multiple receivers can receive the same transmitted signal. The former leads to congestion and concerns about reliability because of the limited nature of the electromagnetic spectrum and the vulnerability to interference. The latter means that wirelessly transmitted information is inherently insecure. This thesis aims to provide insights and means for improving physical layer reliability and security of wireless communications by, in a sense, combining the two aspects above through simultaneous and same frequency transmit and receive operation. This is so as to ultimately increase the safety of environments where wireless devices function or where malicious wirelessly operated devices (e.g., remote-controlled drones) potentially raise safety concerns. Specifically, two closely related research directions are pursued. Firstly, taking advantage of in-band full-duplex (IBFD) radio technology to benefit the reliability and security of wireless communications in the form of multifunction IBFD radios. Secondly, extending the self-interference cancellation (SIC) capabilities of IBFD radios to multiradio platforms to take advantage of these same concepts on a wider scale. Within the first research direction, a theoretical analysis framework is developed and then used to comprehensively study the benefits and drawbacks of simultaneously combining signals detection and jamming on the same frequency within a single platform. Also, a practical prototype capable of such operation is implemented and its performance analyzed based on actual measurements. The theoretical and experimental analysis altogether give a concrete understanding of the quantitative benefits of simultaneous same-frequency operations over carrying out the operations in an alternating manner. Simultaneously detecting and jamming signals specifically is shown to somewhat increase the effective range of a smart jammer compared to intermittent detection and jamming, increasing its reliability. Within the second research direction, two interference mitigation methods are proposed that extend the SIC capabilities from single platform IBFD radios to those not physically connected. Such separation brings additional challenges in modeling the interference compared to the SIC problem, which the proposed methods address. These methods then allow multiple radios to intentionally generate and use interference for controlling access to the electromagnetic spectrum. Practical measurement results demonstrate that this effectively allows the use of cooperative jamming to prevent unauthorized nodes from processing any signals of interest, while authorized nodes can use interference mitigation to still access the same signals. This in turn provides security at the physical layer of wireless communications

Outage Constrained Robust BeamformingOptimization for Multiuser IRS-AssistedAnti-Jamming Communications With Incomplete Information

Malicious jamming attacks have been regarded asa serious threat to Internet of Things (IoT) networks, which cansignificantly degrade the quality of service (QoS) of users. Thispaper utilizes an intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) to enhanceanti-jamming performance due to its capability in reconfiguringthe wireless propagation environment via dynamicly adjustingeach IRS reflecting elements. To enhance the communicationperformance against jamming attacks, a robust beamformingoptimization problem is formulated in a multiuser IRS-assistedanti-jamming communications scenario with or without imperfectjammer’s channel state information (CSI). In addition, we furtherconsider the fact that the jammer’s transmit beamforming cannot be known at BS. Specifically, with no knowledge of jammerstransmit beamforming, the total transmit power minimizationproblems are formulated subject to the outage probability re-quirements of legitimate users with the jammer’s statistical CSI,and signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) requirementsof legitimate users without the jammer’s CSI, respectively.By applying the Decomposition-based large deviation inequal-ity (DBLDI), Bernstein-type inequality (BTI), Cauchy-Schwarzinequality, and penalty non-smooth optimization method, weefficiently solve the initial intractable and non-convex problems.Numerical simulations demonstrate that the proposed anti-jamming approaches achieve superior anti-jamming performanceand lower power-consumption compared to the non-IRS schemeand reveal the impact of key parameters on the achievable systemperformance

LATEST ADVANCES ON SECURITY ARCHITECTURE FOR 5G TECHNOLOGY AND SERVICES

The roll out of the deployment of the 5G technology has been ongoing globally. The deployment of the technologies associated with 5G has seen mixed reaction as regards its prospects to improve communication services in all spares of life amid its security concerns. The security concerns of 5G network lies in its architecture and other technologies that optimize the performance of its architecture. There are many fractions of 5G security architecture in the literature, a holistic security architectural structure will go a long way in tackling the security challenges. In this paper, the review of the security challenges of the 5G technology based on its architecture is presented along with their proposed solutions. This review was carried out with some keywords relating to 5G securities and architecture; this was used to retrieve appropriate literature for fitness of purpose. The 5G security architectures are mojorly centered around the seven network security layers; thereby making each of the layers a source of security concern on the 5G network. Many of the 5G security challenges are related to authentication and authorization such as denial-of-service attacks, man in the middle attack and eavesdropping. Different methods both hardware (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, field programmable logic arrays) and software (Artificial intelligence, Machine learning, Blockchain, Statistical Process Control) has been proposed for mitigating the threats. Other technologies applicable to 5G security concerns includes: Multi-radio access technology, smart-grid network and light fidelity. The implementation of these solutions should be reviewed on a timely basis because of the dynamic nature of threats which will greatly reduce the occurrence of security attacks on the 5G network