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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 830

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor

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Guest Editor
School of Electronic Science and Engineering, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China
Interests: privacy and security in NTN
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

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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 (1 paper)

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Research

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 217
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
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