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arXiv:1908.10362 · IEEE Wireless Communications

Physical Layer Key Generation in 5G Wireless Networks

Long Jiao, Ning Wang, Pu Wang, Amir Alipour-Fanid, Jie Tang, Kai Zeng

Published Oct 1, 2019• 111 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

The bloom of 5G communication and beyond serves as a catalyst for physical layer key generation techniques. In 5G communications systems, many challenges in traditional physical layer key generation schemes, such as co-located eavesdroppers, the high bit disagreement ratio, and high temporal correlation, could be overcome. This article lists the key enabling techniques in 5G wireless networks, which offer opportunities to address existing issues in physical layer key generation. We survey the existing key generation methods and introduce possible solutions for the existing issues. The new solutions include applying the high signal directionality in beamforming to resist co-located eavesdroppers, utilizing the sparsity of millimeter-wave channel to achieve a low bit disagreement ratio under low signal-to-noise ratio, and exploiting hybrid precoding to reduce the temporal correlation among measured samples. Finally, the future trends of physical layer key generation in 5G and beyond communications are discussed.

DOI
10.1109/mwc.001.1900061

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The bloom of 5G communication and beyond serves as a catalyst for physical layer key generation techniques. In 5G communications systems, many challenges in traditional physical layer key generation schemes, such as co-located eavesdroppers, the high bit disagreement ratio, and high temporal correlation, could be overcome. This article lists the key enabling techniques in 5G wireless networks, which offer opportunities to address existing issues in physical layer key generation. We survey the existing key generation methods and introduce possible solutions for the existing issues. The new solutions include applying the high signal directionality in beamforming to resist co-located eavesdroppers, utilizing the sparsity of millimeter-wave channel to achieve a low bit disagreement ratio under low signal-to-noise ratio, and exploiting hybrid precoding to reduce the temporal correlation among measured samples. Finally, the future trends of physical layer key generation in 5G and beyond communications are discussed.
The fifth generation (5G) and beyond wireless communications will transform many exciting applications and trigger massive data connections with private, confidential, and sensitive information. The security of wireless communications is conventionally established by cryptographic schemes and protocols in which the secret key distribution is one of the essential primitives. However, traditional cryptography-based key distribution protocols might be challenged in the 5G and beyond communications because of special features such as device-to-device and heterogeneous communications, and ultra-low latency requirements. Channel reciprocity-based key generation (CRKG) is an emerging physical layer-based technique to establish secret keys between devices. This article reviews CRKG when the 5G and beyond networks employ three candidate technologies: duplex modes, massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and mmWave communications. We identify the opportunities and challenges for CRKG and provide corresponding solutions. To further demonstrate the feasibility of CRKG in practical communication systems, we overview existing prototypes with different IoT protocols and examine their performance in real-world environments. This article shows the feasibility and promising performances of CRKG with the potential to be commercialized.
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Physical layer security which safeguards data confidentiality based on the information-theoretic approaches has received significant research interest recently. The key idea behind physical layer security is to utilize the intrinsic randomness of the transmission channel to guarantee the security in physical layer. The evolution toward 5G wireless communications poses new challenges for physical layer security research. This paper provides a latest survey of the physical layer security research on various promising 5G technologies, including physical layer security coding, massive multiple-input multiple-output, millimeter wave communications, heterogeneous networks, non-orthogonal multiple access, full duplex technology, and so on. Technical challenges which remain unresolved at the time of writing are summarized and the future trends of physical layer security in 5G and beyond are discussed.
The fifth generation (5G) network will serve as a key enabler in meeting the continuously increasing demands for future wireless applications, including an ultra-high data rate, an ultrawide radio coverage, an ultra-large number of devices, and an ultra-low latency. This article examines security, a pivotal issue in the 5G network where wireless transmissions are inherently vulnerable to security breaches. Specifically, we focus on physical layer security, which safeguards data confidentiality by exploiting the intrinsic randomness of the communications medium and reaping the benefits offered by the disruptive technologies to 5G. Among various technologies, the three most promising ones are discussed: heterogenous networks, massive multiple-input multiple-output, and millimeter wave. On the basis of the key principles of each technology, we identify the rich opportunities and the outstanding challenges that security designers must tackle. Such an identification is expected to decisively advance the understanding of future physical layer security.
Physical layer security is emerging as a promising means of ensuring secrecy in wireless communications. The key idea is to exploit the characteristics of wireless channels such as fading or noise to transmit a message from the source to the intended receiver while keeping this message confidential from eavesdroppers. Topics covered in Trusted Communications with Physical Layer Security for 5G and Beyond include secrecy metrics for physical layer security over fading channels; trusted wireless communications with spatial multiplexing; directional modulation enabled physical layer wireless security; secure waveform for 5G systems; confidential and energy efficient communications using physical layer security; secure data networks with channel uncertainty; antenna selection strategies for wiretap channels; physical layer security for massive MIMO systems, millimeter wave cellular networks, non-orthogonal multiple access, multiuser relay networks, cognitive radio networks, MIMOME-OFDM systems; wirelessly powered communication systems and D2D-enabled cellular networks; and security solutions and applications at the physical layer, including case studies of secret key generation and secrecy coding in communication nodes and terminals.
Physical-layer security is emerging approach that can benefit conventional encryption methods. The main idea of physical layer security is to take advantage of the features of the wireless channel and its impairments in order to ensure secure communication in the physical layer. This paper provides a comprehensive review of information-theoretic measures of the secrecy performance in physical layer security. In addition, our work survey research about physical layer security over several enabling 5G technologies, such as massive multiple-input multiple-output, millimeter wave communications, heterogeneous networks, and full-duplex, including the key concepts of each of the aforementioned technologies. Finally, future research directions and technical challenges of physical layer security are identified.