Physical Layer Security for Future Wireless Systems

A special issue of Electronics (ISSN 2079-9292). This special issue belongs to the section "Microwave and Wireless Communications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 May 2025 | Viewed by 2496

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
Interests: wireless security; wireless communications; wireless sensing; network optimization

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Guest Editor
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
Interests: wireless security; future generation communications and networking; wireless sensing

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Guest Editor
School of Computer Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
Interests: novel data-driven mobile/IoT system design; mobile and network security; machine learning for mobile network and security applications
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Wireless technology has become indispensable in daily life, with people heavily relying on it for activities such as e-commerce, contactless payment, and military communications. Future wireless systems and networks, such as 6G cellular systems, future versions of WiFi, and satellite networks, are expected to support an even broader range of critical services, including intelligent transportation systems, industrial Internet of Things, eHealth, and more. Given their critical roles in computation, coordination, and decision making, ensuring the security of future wireless communications is paramount. Currently, wireless security has primarily focused on cryptographic approaches that utilize pre-shared secret keys or secure channels which may not always be available in many scenarios. In contrast, physical layer security, harnessing the randomness of the physical layer without relying on pre-shared keys or secure auxiliary channels, is seen as a potential complement to cryptography and a promising strategy for future wireless systems.

This Special Issue aims to provide insights into recent research in this emerging field. We invite high-quality submissions of cutting-edge research that explores theories, technologies, and applications within this domain. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The advanced signal processing of physical layer security;
  • Measurements and models of secure communication scenarios;
  • Stochastic secure network modeling;
  • Cyber–physical systems;
  • Physical layer security in UAV-based networks;
  • Physical layer security in heterogeneous wireless networks;
  • Physical layer security in satellite–terrestrial integrated networks;
  • Physical layer security in green communications;
  • Secure resource allocation and management;
  • Machine-learning-enabled channel estimation, transmission design, and optimization;
  • mmWave/TeraHertz communications;
  • Reconfigurable intelligent surface;
  • Integrated sensing and communication;
  • Jamming-resistant communications;
  • Secure transmissions for video surveillance and domotics;
  • Secrecy coding;
  • Physical layer key generation.

Dr. Yanjun Pan
Dr. Yao Zheng
Dr. Shangqing Zhao
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • advanced signal processing of physical layer security
  • measurements and models of secure communication scenarios
  • stochastic secure network modeling
  • cyber–physical systems
  • physical layer security in UAV-based networks
  • physical layer security in heterogeneous wireless networks
  • physical layer security in satellite–terrestrial integrated networks
  • physical layer security in green communications
  • secure resource allocation and management
  • machine-learning-enabled channel estimation, transmission design, and optimization
  • mmWave/TeraHertz communications
  • reconfigurable intelligent surface
  • integrated sensing and communication
  • jamming-resistant communications
  • secure transmissions for video surveillance and domotics
  • secrecy coding
  • physical layer key generation

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2554 KiB  
Article
RF Fingerprinting Using Transient-Based Identification Signals at Sampling Rates Close to the Nyquist Limit
by Selçuk Taşcıoğlu, Aykut Kalaycıoğlu, Memduh Köse and Gokhan Soysal
Electronics 2025, 14(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics14010004 - 24 Dec 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 850
Abstract
Radio frequency (RF) fingerprinting is regarded as a promising solution to improve wireless security, especially in applications where resource-limited devices are employed. Unlike steady-state signals, such as preambles or data, the use of short-duration transient signals for RF fingerprinting offers distinct advantages for [...] Read more.
Radio frequency (RF) fingerprinting is regarded as a promising solution to improve wireless security, especially in applications where resource-limited devices are employed. Unlike steady-state signals, such as preambles or data, the use of short-duration transient signals for RF fingerprinting offers distinct advantages for systems with low latency and low complexity requirements. One of the challenges associated with transient-based methods in practice is achieving high performance while utilizing low-cost receivers. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time that the performance of transient-based RF fingerprinting can be enhanced by designing the filter chain in a software defined radio (SDR) receiver, taking into account the relevant signal characteristics. The performance analysis is conducted using transient-based identification signals captured by the SDR receiver, focusing on the sampling rate and duration of the identification signal. In the experiments, signals collected from twenty IEEE 802.11 transmitters are used. Experimental results indicate that so long as the receiver filter parameters and the duration of the identification signal are properly determined, a high classification performance exceeding 92% can be achieved for transient-based RF fingerprinting, even at sampling rates approaching the Nyquist limit. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Layer Security for Future Wireless Systems)
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28 pages, 1958 KiB  
Article
An Optimal Secure Key Distribution Scheme for Internet of Things Devices in Multi-Session Network Communications
by Farhan Alshammari, Lawrence Ong and Jin Yeong Tan
Electronics 2024, 13(24), 4951; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13244951 - 16 Dec 2024
Viewed by 947
Abstract
Communication network security has become increasingly vital in an era of rapidly developing technology, and protecting against unauthorized access is essential. This paper introduces a server-aided approach for secure key distribution to users participating in multiple sessions. This paper presents a system model [...] Read more.
Communication network security has become increasingly vital in an era of rapidly developing technology, and protecting against unauthorized access is essential. This paper introduces a server-aided approach for secure key distribution to users participating in multiple sessions. This paper presents a system model in which each user is assigned a unique private key, enabling them to derive session keys from codewords broadcast by the server. These session keys are essential for facilitating the secure transmission of session messages within their respective sessions. The system model ensures that an eavesdropper cannot derive any session keys, despite having access to broadcast codewords, due to their lack of private keys. Our results show that our coding scheme is optimal by proving the necessary conditions for secure key distribution, indicating that secure key distribution is achievable if and only if the length of a user’s private key is at least equal to the total size of session messages across all the sessions in which they participate. This paper further illustrates the proposed secure key distribution and session message transmission mechanism through examples, emphasizing the necessity of user-specific private keys tailored to the sessions in which users are involved. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Layer Security for Future Wireless Systems)
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