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Privacy and Security for Wireless Sensor Networks: Technologies and Strategies
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Privacy and Security for Wireless Sensor Networks: Technologies and Strategies

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Sensor Networks".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2027 | Viewed by 2243

Editors

Dr. Yanqun Tang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 510006, China
Interests: privacy and security in low-altitude networks
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Wei Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Electronic Science and Engineering, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China
Interests: privacy and security in NTN
Dr. Miao Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Information Science and Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing 400074, China
Interests: AI-empowered security; 6G security

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are rapidly transitioning into highly dynamic, integrated Space–Air–Ground (SAG) architectures, encompassing 6G systems, LEO satellites (NTN), and the Low-Altitude Economy (LAE). This expansion relies on pervasive sensors and communication technologies for real-time control and critical data exchange, yet it exposes WSNs to unprecedented threats. The core challenge lies in securing resource-constrained terminals and high-mobility links against sophisticated attacks. For instance, exposed LoS links are vulnerable to eavesdropping and spoofing; high-speed dynamics demand extreme real-time capability; and the fusion of heterogeneous networks introduces complex cross-domain security issues. Furthermore, WSNs must combat AI-driven coordinated jamming and address the long-term threat of quantum computing on mission-critical data. This Special Issue invites research on novel cybersecurity theories and strategies that enhance the robustness, trustworthiness, and privacy of these future WSNs. We encourage submissions on advanced security mechanisms applicable across space, air, and ground segments.

Dr. Yanqun Tang
Dr. Wei Li
Dr. Miao Zhang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • physical layer security
  • AI/ML security
  • non-terrestrial networks (NTNs)
  • reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs)
  • low-altitude economy (LAE)
  • anti-jamming and spoofing
  • supply chain security
  • privacy-preserving transmission

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

26 pages, 8600 KB  
Article
Differential-Privacy-Based Collaborative Protection for Visual and Location Data in UAV Semantic Communications
by Sitang Yue, Chong Zhan, Guanwu Jiang, Yingmin Qiu and Shujun Han
Sensors 2026, 26(14), 4358; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26144358 - 9 Jul 2026
Viewed by 361
Abstract
Unmanned aerial vehicle semantic communications are increasingly required in low-altitude sensing, intelligent inspection, and emergency response, where raw image transmission is difficult to sustain under limited onboard resources and time-varying air-to-ground links. Meanwhile, the simultaneous transmission of visual semantic features and object-centre location [...] Read more.
Unmanned aerial vehicle semantic communications are increasingly required in low-altitude sensing, intelligent inspection, and emergency response, where raw image transmission is difficult to sustain under limited onboard resources and time-varying air-to-ground links. Meanwhile, the simultaneous transmission of visual semantic features and object-centre location metadata under third-party eavesdropping creates a dual-privacy vulnerability: an attacker can exploit both to reconstruct sensitive content. In this paper, we propose a differential privacy-based collaborative protection framework that inserts dedicated perturbations into visual semantic and location descriptors before transmission. For visual data, we design a region-aware differential privacy mechanism that applies stronger noise to sensitive semantic regions while preserving utility for non-critical areas. For location data, a scenario-adaptive strategy is developed, comprising randomized differential privacy for discrete grid-based location information (coarse spatial awareness) and Laplace-based differential privacy for continuous coordinates (fine-grained protection). To balance privacy and utility, we formulate a joint optimization problem. It maximizes legitimate-side semantic task performance by coordinating the visual privacy budget, location privacy budget, and transmit power. A BCD-based algorithm is developed to solve this non-convex problem. Attacker-side recoverability is verified empirically at the optimized operating point. Simulation results demonstrate stable convergence within a small number of iterations. Compared with uniform differential privacy, the proposed framework achieves a superior task-level privacy–utility trade-off and provides selective sensitive-region protection, with the two mechanisms yielding comparable whole-image attack suppression. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Privacy and Security for Wireless Sensor Networks: Technologies and Strategies)
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30 pages, 5243 KB  
Article
Multi-Layer Encryption for Secure 6G MIMO-AFDM-IM ISAC Systems
by Ruiqi Cao, Yanqun Tang, Caiqin Li, Sitong Li, Yicong Su, Xinyan Ma, Wei Li and Miao Zhang
Sensors 2026, 26(12), 3882; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26123882 - 18 Jun 2026
Viewed by 372
Abstract
With the emergence of mobile sixth-generation (6G) integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) scenarios, conventional multicarrier waveforms face challenges in maintaining reliable communication and robust physical-layer security. In this paper, we propose a multi-layer encryption multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) affine frequency division multiplexing (AFDM) with [...] Read more.
With the emergence of mobile sixth-generation (6G) integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) scenarios, conventional multicarrier waveforms face challenges in maintaining reliable communication and robust physical-layer security. In this paper, we propose a multi-layer encryption multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) affine frequency division multiplexing (AFDM) with index modulation (IM) scheme, which exploits the inherent flexibility of the AFDM modulation parameter c2 and subcarrier IM to construct a multi-dimensional physical-layer security mechanism. To enable sensing and exploit MIMO spatial diversity, a unified downlink MIMO configuration is adopted, where sensing and communication share the same transmit waveform, receive array, and physical propagation environment. The proposed configuration enables multi-dimensional parameter estimation, including delay, Doppler, and angle. The obtained sensing information further assists beamforming design, channel reconstruction, and signal equalization. Furthermore, the base station and user equipment share synchronized secret keys, and a unified detection framework is developed to balance computational complexity and detection accuracy while remaining compatible with the multi-dimensional encryption structure of the MIMO-AFDM-IM system. Simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme in mobile scenarios, demonstrating enhanced multi-dimensional sensing accuracy, improved resistance to eavesdropping, and superior communication reliability and energy efficiency (EE). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Privacy and Security for Wireless Sensor Networks: Technologies and Strategies)
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21 pages, 1538 KB  
Article
Research on Covert Communication in Satellite–Ground-Integrated Sensor Networks Based on FH-DL-MPWFRFT
by Lei Ni, Yichao Cai, Xiaobai Li, Hang Hu, Zheng Chu and Yuzhi Qi
Sensors 2026, 26(12), 3716; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26123716 - 11 Jun 2026
Viewed by 303
Abstract
To further enhance the covert communication capability of satellite–ground-integrated sensor networks, a dual-polarization constellation joint modulation scheme based on frequency-hopping double-layer multi-parameter weighted fractional Fourier transform (FH-DL-MPWFRFT) is proposed from the perspective of physical layer security. The proposed scheme integrates the constellation confusion [...] Read more.
To further enhance the covert communication capability of satellite–ground-integrated sensor networks, a dual-polarization constellation joint modulation scheme based on frequency-hopping double-layer multi-parameter weighted fractional Fourier transform (FH-DL-MPWFRFT) is proposed from the perspective of physical layer security. The proposed scheme integrates the constellation confusion property of weighted fractional Fourier transform (WFRFT) with the anti-interception capability of frequency-hopping (FH) phase scrambling. Specifically, the weighted parameters of conventional 4-WFRFT are extended to construct a multi-parameter and multi-layer signal representation, and FH phase scrambling is introduced to realize dynamic constellation rotation and phase-domain encryption. Furthermore, a secure transmission model for satellite–ground-integrated sensor networks is established, revealing the constellation optimization principle and the fission-fusion mechanism of dual-polarization signals. Simulation results show that, compared with the non-FH benchmark, the proposed scheme significantly improves waveform-level anti-interception performance; even when eavesdropper obtains the modulation scheme and partial transform parameters, the symbol error rate (SER) of quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) and four-phase modulation (4PM) signals remains around 0.4 to 0.5 under parameter mismatch, indicating that effective demodulation is difficult to achieve. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Privacy and Security for Wireless Sensor Networks: Technologies and Strategies)
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13 pages, 965 KB  
Article
Delay-Doppler Domain Time-Hopping Key Generation and Security Analysis for Orthogonal Time Frequency Space Satellite Communication Systems
by Wei Li, Zhendie Bai, Jikang Wang, Xiaofan Xu and Xianggeng Zhu
Sensors 2026, 26(10), 3230; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26103230 - 20 May 2026
Viewed by 410
Abstract
Physical-layer key generation (PLKG) is a technique that produces symmetric encryption keys by exploiting the inherent characteristics of wireless channels. It offers advantages including high physical-layer security, elimination of pre-shared keys, dynamic upgradability, and resistance to quantum attacks, making PLKG a promising security [...] Read more.
Physical-layer key generation (PLKG) is a technique that produces symmetric encryption keys by exploiting the inherent characteristics of wireless channels. It offers advantages including high physical-layer security, elimination of pre-shared keys, dynamic upgradability, and resistance to quantum attacks, making PLKG a promising security solution for next-generation (6G) networks. However, satellite communication channels exhibit high dynamics and long propagation delays. Characteristics such as large Doppler shifts, short coherence times, and orbital predictability pose severe challenges to PLKG, including reciprocity degradation, low key generation rate (KGR), and susceptibility to channel-prediction attacks. This work proposes a delay-Doppler domain time-hopping key generation scheme (KE-DD-TH) based on Orthogonal Time Frequency Space (OTFS) modulation for high-speed links between Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO)/Medium-Earth-Orbit (MEO) satellites and ground terminals in Ka/Ku bands. The scheme performs non-uniform sampling on the DD domain grid of OTFS symbols using an ephemeris-driven pseudo-random time-hopping sequence generated by cascaded linear feedback shift registers (LFSRs) and a nonlinear matrix transformation. Both legitimate parties estimate the channel only at time-hopping instants and multiply two adjacent estimates to construct an “equivalent channel” matrix, yielding a random source with high entropy, high reciprocity, and low predictability. The eavesdropper’s key disagreement rate (KDR) remains close to 0.5 under all signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) conditions, corresponding to the ideal random-guessing baseline. This indicates that Eve obtains negligible mutual information, i.e., I(KA;KE)≈0. By contrast, the conventional KE-DD scheme allows Eve’s KDR to degrade to 0.014 at 30 dB SNR, indicating near-complete key recovery. The generated keys pass all 12 randomness tests of the NIST SP 800-22 statistical test suite. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Privacy and Security for Wireless Sensor Networks: Technologies and Strategies)
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