Trust-Based Authentication for Secure Communication in Cognitive Radio Networks

Over the past few years, Cognitive Radio (CR) has been considered as a demanding concept for improving the utilization of limited radio spectrum resources for future wireless communications and mobile computing. Since a member of Cognitive Radio Networks may join or leave the network at any time, the issue of supporting secure communication in CRNs becomes more critical than for the other conventional wireless networks. This work thus proposes a secure trust-based authentication approach for CRNs. A CR node’s trust value is determined from its previous trust behavior in the network and depending on this trust value, it is decided whether or not this CR node will obtain access to the Primary User’s free spectrum. The security analysis is performed to guarantee that the proposed approach achieves security proof

Spectrum sharing security and attacks in CRNs: a review

Cognitive Radio plays a major part in communication technology by resolving the shortage of the spectrum through usage of dynamic spectrum access and artificial intelligence characteristics. The element of spectrum sharing in cognitive radio is a fundament al approach in utilising free channels. Cooperatively communicating cognitive radio devices use the common control channel of the cognitive radio medium access control to achieve spectrum sharing. Thus, the common control channel and consequently spectrum sharing security are vital to ensuring security in the subsequent data communication among cognitive radio nodes. In addition to well known security problems in wireless networks, cognitive radio networks introduce new classes of security threats and challenges, such as licensed user emulation attacks in spectrum sensing and misbehaviours in the common control channel transactions, which degrade the overall network operation and performance. This review paper briefly presents the known threats and attacks in wireless networks before it looks into the concept of cognitive radio and its main functionality. The paper then mainly focuses on spectrum sharing security and its related challenges. Since spectrum sharing is enabled through usage of the common control channel, more attention is paid to the security of the common control channel by looking into its security threats as well as protection and detection mechanisms. Finally, the pros and cons as well as the comparisons of different CR - specific security mechanisms are presented with some open research issues and challenges

Context-Awareness Enhances 5G Multi-Access Edge Computing Reliability

The fifth generation (5G) mobile telecommunication network is expected to support Multi- Access Edge Computing (MEC), which intends to distribute computation tasks and services from the central cloud to the edge clouds. Towards ultra-responsive, ultra-reliable and ultra-low-latency MEC services, the current mobile network security architecture should enable a more decentralized approach for authentication and authorization processes. This paper proposes a novel decentralized authentication architecture that supports flexible and low-cost local authentication with the awareness of context information of network elements such as user equipment and virtual network functions. Based on a Markov model for backhaul link quality, as well as a random walk mobility model with mixed mobility classes and traffic scenarios, numerical simulations have demonstrated that the proposed approach is able to achieve a flexible balance between the network operating cost and the MEC reliability.Comment: Accepted by IEEE Access on Feb. 02, 201

A Secure Cooperative Sensing Protocol for Cognitive Radio Networks

Cognitive radio networks sense spectrum occupancy and manage themselves to operate in unused bands without disturbing licensed users. Spectrum sensing is more accurate if jointly performed by several reliable nodes. Even though cooperative sensing is an active area of research, the secure authentication of local sensing reports remains unsolved, thus empowering false results. This paper presents a distributed protocol based on digital signatures and hash functions, and an analysis of its security features. The system allows determining a final sensing decision from multiple sources in a quick and secure way.Las redes de radio cognitiva detectora de espectro se las arreglan para operar en las nuevas bandas sin molestar a los usuarios con licencia. La detección de espectro es más precisa si el conjunto está realizado por varios nodos fiables. Aunque la detección cooperativa es un área activa de investigación, la autenticación segura de informes locales de detección no ha sido resuelta, por lo tanto se pueden dar resultados falsos. Este trabajo presenta un protocolo distribuido basado en firmas digitales y en funciones hash, y un análisis de sus características de seguridad. El sistema permite determinar una decisión final de detección de múltiples fuentes de una manera rápida y segura.Les xarxes de ràdio cognitiva detectora d'espectre se les arreglen per operar en les noves bandes sense destorbar els usuaris amb llicència. La detecció d'espectre és més precisa si el conjunt està realitzat per diversos nodes fiables. Encara que la detecció cooperativa és una àrea activa d'investigació, l'autenticació segura d'informes locals de detecció no ha estat resolta, per tant es poden donar resultats falsos. Aquest treball presenta un protocol distribuït basat en signatures digitals i en funcions hash, i una anàlisi de les seves característiques de seguretat. El sistema permet determinar una decisió final de detecció de múltiples fonts d'una manera ràpida i segura