Secrecy capacity of a multiple-antenna wiretap channel is studied in the low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime. Expressions for the first and second derivatives of the secrecy capacity with respect to SNR at SNR = 0 are derived. Transmission strategies required to achieve these derivatives are identified. In particular, it is shown that it is optimal in the low-SNR regime to transmit in the maximal-eigenvalue eigenspace of φ = Hm†Hm- Nm/NeHe†Hewhere Hmand Hedenote the channel matrices associated with the legitimate receiver and eavesdropper, respectively, and Nmand Neare the noise variances at the receiver and eavesdropper, respectively. Energy efficiency is analyzed by finding the minimum bit energy required for secure and reliable communications, and the wideband slope. Increased bit energy requirements under secrecy constraints are quantified. Finally, the impact of fading is investigated, and the benefits of fading in terms of energy efficiency are shown.Secrecy capacity of a multiple-antenna wiretap channel is studied in the low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime. Expressions for the first and second derivatives of the secrecy capacity with respect to SNR at SNR = 0 are derived. Transmission strategies required to achieve these derivatives are identified. In particular, it is shown that it is optimal in the low-SNR regime to transmit in the maximal-eigenvalue eigenspace of φ = Hm†Hm- Nm/NeHe†Hewhere Hmand Hedenote the channel matrices associated with the legitimate receiver and eavesdropper, respectively, and Nmand Neare the noise variances at the receiver and eavesdropper, respectively. Energy efficiency is analyzed by finding the minimum bit energy required for secure and reliable communications, and the wideband slope. Increased bit energy requirements under secrecy constraints are quantified. Finally, the impact of fading is investigated, and the benefits of fading in terms of energy efficiency are shown.

arXiv:0910.4128IEEE Transactions on CommunicationsFeb 22, 201237 citations

Secure Transmission with Multiple Antennas: The MISOME Wiretap Channel

Ashish J. Khisti, Gregory W. Wornell

The role of multiple antennas for secure communication is investigated within the framework of Wyner's wiretap channel. We characterize the secrecy capacity in terms of generalized eigenvalues when the sender and eavesdropper have multiple antennas, the intended receiver has a single antenna, and the channel matrices are fixed and known to all the terminals, and show that a beamforming strategy is capacity-achieving. In addition, we show that in the high signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio regime the penalty for not knowing eavesdropper's channel is small--a simple ``secure space-time code'' that can be thought of as masked beamforming and radiates power isotropically attains near-optimal performance. In the limit of large number of antennas, we obtain a realization-independent characterization of the secrecy capacity as a function of the number $β$ : the number of eavesdropper antennas per sender antenna. We show that the eavesdropper is comparatively ineffective when $β<1$ , but that for $β\ge2$ the eavesdropper can drive the secrecy capacity to zero, thereby blocking secure communication to the intended receiver. Extensions to ergodic fading channels are also provided.The role of multiple antennas for secure communication is investigated within the framework of Wyner's wiretap channel. We characterize the secrecy capacity in terms of generalized eigenvalues when the sender and eavesdropper have multiple antennas, the intended receiver has a single antenna, and the channel matrices are fixed and known to all the terminals, and show that a beamforming strategy is capacity-achieving. In addition, we show that in the high signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio regime the penalty for not knowing eavesdropper's channel is small--a simple ``secure space-time code'' that can be thought of as masked beamforming and radiates power isotropically attains near-optimal performance. In the limit of large number of antennas, we obtain a realization-independent characterization of the secrecy capacity as a function of the number $β$: the number of eavesdropper antennas per sender antenna. We show that the eavesdropper is comparatively ineffective when $β<1$, but that for $β\ge2$ the eavesdropper can drive the secrecy capacity to zero, thereby blocking secure communication to the intended receiver. Extensions to ergodic fading channels are also provided.

arXiv:0708.4219Aug 30, 200733 citations

Secure Transmission With Multiple Antennas I: The MISOME Wiretap Channel

Ashish J. Khisti, Gregory W. Wornell

IEEE Transactions on Information TheoryJun 23, 20101,351 citations

Secret-key agreement over spatially correlated multiple-antenna channels in the low-SNR regime

Marwen Zorgui, Zouheir Rezki, Basel Alomair +2 more

We consider secret-key agreement with public discussion over Rayleigh fast-fading channels with transmit, receive and eavesdropper correlation. The legitimate receiver along with the eavesdropper are assumed to have perfect channel knowledge while the transmitter has only knowledge of the correlation matrices. We analyze the secret-key capacity in the low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime. We derive closed-form expressions for the first and the second derivatives of the secret-key capacity with respect to SNR at SNR= 0, for arbitrary correlation matrices and number of transmit, receive and eavesdropper antennas. Moreover, we identify optimal transmission strategies achieving these derivatives. For instance, we prove that achieving the first and the second derivatives requires a uniform power distribution between the eigenvectors spanning the maximal-eigenvalue eigenspace of the transmit correlation matrix. We also compare the optimal transmission scheme to a simple uniform power allocation. Finally, we express the minimum energy required for sharing a secret-key bit as well as the wideband slope in terms of the system parameters.We consider secret-key agreement with public discussion over Rayleigh fast-fading channels with transmit, receive and eavesdropper correlation. The legitimate receiver along with the eavesdropper are assumed to have perfect channel knowledge while the transmitter has only knowledge of the correlation matrices. We analyze the secret-key capacity in the low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime. We derive closed-form expressions for the first and the second derivatives of the secret-key capacity with respect to SNR at SNR= 0, for arbitrary correlation matrices and number of transmit, receive and eavesdropper antennas. Moreover, we identify optimal transmission strategies achieving these derivatives. For instance, we prove that achieving the first and the second derivatives requires a uniform power distribution between the eigenvectors spanning the maximal-eigenvalue eigenspace of the transmit correlation matrix. We also compare the optimal transmission scheme to a simple uniform power allocation. Finally, we express the minimum energy required for sharing a secret-key bit as well as the wideband slope in terms of the system parameters.

IEEE Conference on Communications and Network SecuritySep 1, 20151 citation

Secure Multiple-Antenna Block-Fading Wiretap Channels With Limited CSI Feedback

Amal Hyadi, Zouheir Rezki, Mohamed‐Slim Alouini

In this paper, we investigate the ergodic secrecy capacity of a block-fading wiretap channel with limited channel knowledge at the transmitter. We consider that the legitimate receiver, the eavesdropper, and the transmitter are equipped with multiple antennas and that the receiving nodes are aware of their respective channel matrices. On the other hand, the transmitter is only provided by a B-bit feedback of the main channel state information. The feedback bits are sent by the legitimate receiver, at the beginning of each fading block, over an error-free public link with limited capacity. The statistics of the main and the eavesdropper channel state information are known at all nodes. Assuming an average transmit power constraint, we establish upper and lower bounds on the ergodic secrecy capacity. Then, we present a framework to design the optimal codebooks for feedback and transmission. In addition, we show that the proposed lower and upper bounds coincide asymptotically, as the capacity of the feedback link becomes large, i.e., B→∞, hence fully characterizing the ergodic secrecy capacity in this case. Besides, we analyze the asymptotic behavior of the presented secrecy rates, at high signal-to-noise ratio, and evaluate the gap between the bounds.In this paper, we investigate the ergodic secrecy capacity of a block-fading wiretap channel with limited channel knowledge at the transmitter. We consider that the legitimate receiver, the eavesdropper, and the transmitter are equipped with multiple antennas and that the receiving nodes are aware of their respective channel matrices. On the other hand, the transmitter is only provided by a B-bit feedback of the main channel state information. The feedback bits are sent by the legitimate receiver, at the beginning of each fading block, over an error-free public link with limited capacity. The statistics of the main and the eavesdropper channel state information are known at all nodes. Assuming an average transmit power constraint, we establish upper and lower bounds on the ergodic secrecy capacity. Then, we present a framework to design the optimal codebooks for feedback and transmission. In addition, we show that the proposed lower and upper bounds coincide asymptotically, as the capacity of the feedback link becomes large, i.e., B→∞, hence fully characterizing the ergodic secrecy capacity in this case. Besides, we analyze the asymptotic behavior of the presented secrecy rates, at high signal-to-noise ratio, and evaluate the gap between the bounds.

IEEE Transactions on Wireless CommunicationsJul 18, 201716 citations

Secrecy Capacity of Wireless Channels

João Barros, Miguel R. D. Rodrigues

We consider the transmission of confidential data over wireless channels with multiple communicating parties. Based on an information-theoretic problem formulation in which two legitimate partners communicate over a quasi-static fading channel and an eavesdropper observes their transmissions through another independent quasi-static fading channel, we define the secrecy capacity in terms of outage probability and provide a complete characterization of the maximum transmission rate at which the eavesdropper is unable to decode any information. In sharp contrast with known results for Gaussian wiretap channels (without feedback), our contribution shows that in the presence of fading information-theoretic security is achievable even when the eavesdropper has a better average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) than the legitimate receiver - fading thus turns out to be a friend and not a foe.We consider the transmission of confidential data over wireless channels with multiple communicating parties. Based on an information-theoretic problem formulation in which two legitimate partners communicate over a quasi-static fading channel and an eavesdropper observes their transmissions through another independent quasi-static fading channel, we define the secrecy capacity in terms of outage probability and provide a complete characterization of the maximum transmission rate at which the eavesdropper is unable to decode any information. In sharp contrast with known results for Gaussian wiretap channels (without feedback), our contribution shows that in the presence of fading information-theoretic security is achievable even when the eavesdropper has a better average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) than the legitimate receiver - fading thus turns out to be a friend and not a foe.

IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory (ISIT)Jul 1, 2006828 citations

β

: the number of eavesdropper antennas per sender antenna. We show that the eavesdropper is comparatively ineffective when

β<1

, but that for

β\ge2

the eavesdropper can drive the secrecy capacity to zero, thereby blocking secure communication to the intended receiver. Extensions to ergodic fading channels are also provided.