Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Globecom

Time Correlation Analysis of Secret Key Generation via UWB Channels

Masoud Ghoreishi Madiseh, Stephen W. Neville, Michael L. McGuire

Published Dec 1, 2010• 9 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Wireless channel characterization is a known methodology for the generation of secret keys, where the secrecy of the key depends on the spatial-temporal correlation properties of the channel which themselves arise due to the channel's physical constraints. Spatial correlations can be suitably addressed simply by moving from narrow band channels to ultra-wide band (UWB) channels, but this does not address temporal correlations, (i.e., the likelihood that two successive key generation processes will generate the same, or nearly the same, key). This work shows that the worst-case of the temporal correlation problem, (i.e., when an eavesdropper has perfect knowledge of all past channel characterizations) is effectively addressed by applying channel prediction to the available ensemble of channel characterisation events and removing the predictable ensembles. It is shown that this proposed prediction approach increases the security of the key generation process while simultaneously reduce the available amount of information for the key generation. Moreover, real-world experimental data is also applied to confirm that a linear prediction suffices in this case.

DOI
10.1109/glocom.2010.5683999

Related papers

Applying Beamforming to Address Temporal Correlation in Wireless Channel Characterization-Based Secret Key Generation

Masoud Ghoreishi Madiseh, Stephen W. Neville, Michael L. McGuire

Wireless secret key generation (WKG) methods based on communications channel characterizations have gained significant interest as a mechanism for providing secure point-to-point communications. Ultra-wide band (UWB) WKG solutions provide an advantage over narrow- and wide-band approaches in that they can generate secure keys even when Alice and Bob, the two communicating parties, and all objects within the environment in which they exist, are stationary (i.e., in scenarios involving zero movement). This creates a secondary problem in that the high temporal correlations of such environments can lead to successive WKG processes producing identical or nearly identical secret keys, whereas the ideal is that all generated keys from successive WKG processes should be independent. This work shows that one method available to address this problem is to move to multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO)-based antenna systems and the use of random beamforming. The security of the resulting approach is assessed with respect to the worst case scenario whereby the eavesdropper, Eve, is assumed to possess perfect knowledge of Alice and Bob's MIMO channel and is able to estimate, with some degree of error, the coefficients of Alice and Bob's independent random beamformers.

IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security•Apr 20, 2012•54 citations

Addressing temporal correlation in wireless channel for secured communication

G Merline., R. Porselvi

Wireless secret key generation (WKG) methods based on wireless channel characterizations have gained significant interest as a mechanism for providing secure point-to-point communications. The secrecy of the generated wireless channel keys mainly depends on the spatial and temporal correlation properties of the channel which arises due to the channel's physical constraints. Ultra-wide band (UWB) WKG solutions can generate secure keys even when the two communicating parties and all objects within the environment in which they exist are stationary (i.e., in scenarios involving zero movement). But for a stationary environment successively generated secret keys are same which degrades the security of the system. Thus the proposed system to increase security is to generate secret keys using elliptic curve digital signature algorithm (ECDSA) and to transition the two communicating parties from using single antenna system to use multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna systems in combination with random beamforming as a solution to the undesirable effects of high temporal correlations in stationary environments. This allows adding directionality to the signal transmission and reception processes, which is unknown to the intruders. Security is further increased by increasing the number of antennas in the MIMO multiplexing system.

•Apr 1, 2013•2 citations

Secret Key Extraction in Ultra Wideband Channels for Unsynchronized Radios

Masoud Ghoreishi Madiseh, Michael L. McGuire, Stephen W. Neville +1 more

Secure communications in UWB based on cryptographic keys generated from channel measurements without a trusted third party have been developed. The fine time resolution of UWB allows high levels of mutual information to be obtained by a given A and B through independent characterizations of their shared communication channel. This mutual information determines the maximum secret key rate available to A and B. Since UWB channel gains change drastically with small antenna movements, it is inherently difficult for eavesdroppers to obtain channel measurements and reduce the secret key rate. In essence, UWB can provide spatial-temporal specific secret keys. Upper bounds on the secret key rate for standard UWB channels are calculated. It is demonstrated that high secure key generation rates are possible. It is shown that these key rates can be generated over a wide range of signal to noise ratios and channel synchronization errors.

Annual Communication Networks and Services Research Conference (CNSR)•May 1, 2008•32 citations

Robust Physical-Layer Key Generation Using UWB in Industrial IoT: A Measurement-Based Analysis

Lorenzo Mario Amorosa, Stefano Caputo, Lorenzo Mucchi +1 more

This paper addresses the confidentiality of wireless communications in industrial internet-of-things environments by investigating the feasibility of secret key generation for link-layer encryption using ultra wideband (UWB) signals. Taking advantage of the nanosecond-level temporal resolution offered by ultra wideband, we exploit channel reciprocity to extract highly detailed, noise-like channel measurements, in line with the physical-layer security paradigm. Three key generation algorithms, operating in both the time and frequency domains, are evaluated using real-world data collected through a dedicated measurement campaign in an industrial setting. The analysis, conducted under realistic conditions, examines the impact of practical impairments, such as imperfect channel reciprocity and timing misalignments, on the key agreement rate and the length of the generated keys. The results confirm the strong potential of ultra wideband technology to enable robust physical-layer security, offering a viable and efficient solution for securing wireless communications in complex and dynamic industrial internet-of-things environments.

Journal of Sensor and Actuator Networks•Dec 23, 2025•0 citations

Verification of Secret Key Generation from UWB Channel Observations

Masoud Ghoreishi Madiseh, Shuai He, Michael L. McGuire +2 more

Theoretical models of ultrawideband (UWB) radio channels indicate that pairs of UWB radio transceivers measure their common radio channel with a high degree of agreement and third parties are not be able to accurately estimate the state of the common channels. These properties allow generation of secret keys to support secure communications from UWB channels measurements. In this paper, the results of UWB propagation studies are presented that validate the required properties to support secret key generation in a typical indoor environment. Key generation algorithms are employed on the measured data and key lengths on the order of thousands of bits are obtained capable of supporting most popular cryptographic systems. The paper also reports measurements of the spatial and temporal correlation of the UWB channel from which the relative privacy of the secret keys can be determined as well as the rate new secret keys may be generated.

International Conference on Communications•Jun 1, 2009•42 citations

Secure Physical Layer Key Generation Schemes: Performance and Information Theoretic Limits

Jon W. Wallace

There is growing interest in wireless security methods that provide strong or even perfect secrecy by taking advantage of features of the physical propagation channel. In advantage-based methods, high channel quality in an average or opportunistic sense is exploited between two legitimate nodes, such that nonzero secrecy capacity can be achieved. Since such methods require bounds on the quality of the eavesdropper channel, they are somewhat impractical. Secret key generation based on tracking channel evolution in time division duplex systems is a more attractive option, where two nodes generate secret key bits based on a mutually known random channel. Since the eavesdropper channel is typically independent of the legitimate channel, the key can only be broken by brute force attacks, which are difficult when new keys are continuously generated. In this paper, the information theoretic limits of key generation schemes are investigated, based on the level of estimation error, temporal correlation, and dependence of the eavesdropper and legitimate channels. Three practical candidate key generation schemes are also considered: channel quantization and channel quantization with guardband.

International Conference on Communications•Jun 1, 2009•82 citations
Wireless channel characterization is a known methodology for the generation of secret keys, where the secrecy of the key depends on the spatial-temporal correlation properties of the channel which themselves arise due to the channel's physical constraints. Spatial correlations can be suitably addressed simply by moving from narrow band channels to ultra-wide band (UWB) channels, but this does not address temporal correlations, (i.e., the likelihood that two successive key generation processes will generate the same, or nearly the same, key). This work shows that the worst-case of the temporal correlation problem, (i.e., when an eavesdropper has perfect knowledge of all past channel characterizations) is effectively addressed by applying channel prediction to the available ensemble of channel characterisation events and removing the predictable ensembles. It is shown that this proposed prediction approach increases the security of the key generation process while simultaneously reduce the available amount of information for the key generation. Moreover, real-world experimental data is also applied to confirm that a linear prediction suffices in this case.
Wireless secret key generation (WKG) methods based on communications channel characterizations have gained significant interest as a mechanism for providing secure point-to-point communications. Ultra-wide band (UWB) WKG solutions provide an advantage over narrow- and wide-band approaches in that they can generate secure keys even when Alice and Bob, the two communicating parties, and all objects within the environment in which they exist, are stationary (i.e., in scenarios involving zero movement). This creates a secondary problem in that the high temporal correlations of such environments can lead to successive WKG processes producing identical or nearly identical secret keys, whereas the ideal is that all generated keys from successive WKG processes should be independent. This work shows that one method available to address this problem is to move to multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO)-based antenna systems and the use of random beamforming. The security of the resulting approach is assessed with respect to the worst case scenario whereby the eavesdropper, Eve, is assumed to possess perfect knowledge of Alice and Bob's MIMO channel and is able to estimate, with some degree of error, the coefficients of Alice and Bob's independent random beamformers.
Wireless secret key generation (WKG) methods based on wireless channel characterizations have gained significant interest as a mechanism for providing secure point-to-point communications. The secrecy of the generated wireless channel keys mainly depends on the spatial and temporal correlation properties of the channel which arises due to the channel's physical constraints. Ultra-wide band (UWB) WKG solutions can generate secure keys even when the two communicating parties and all objects within the environment in which they exist are stationary (i.e., in scenarios involving zero movement). But for a stationary environment successively generated secret keys are same which degrades the security of the system. Thus the proposed system to increase security is to generate secret keys using elliptic curve digital signature algorithm (ECDSA) and to transition the two communicating parties from using single antenna system to use multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna systems in combination with random beamforming as a solution to the undesirable effects of high temporal correlations in stationary environments. This allows adding directionality to the signal transmission and reception processes, which is unknown to the intruders. Security is further increased by increasing the number of antennas in the MIMO multiplexing system.
Secure communications in UWB based on cryptographic keys generated from channel measurements without a trusted third party have been developed. The fine time resolution of UWB allows high levels of mutual information to be obtained by a given A and B through independent characterizations of their shared communication channel. This mutual information determines the maximum secret key rate available to A and B. Since UWB channel gains change drastically with small antenna movements, it is inherently difficult for eavesdroppers to obtain channel measurements and reduce the secret key rate. In essence, UWB can provide spatial-temporal specific secret keys. Upper bounds on the secret key rate for standard UWB channels are calculated. It is demonstrated that high secure key generation rates are possible. It is shown that these key rates can be generated over a wide range of signal to noise ratios and channel synchronization errors.
This paper addresses the confidentiality of wireless communications in industrial internet-of-things environments by investigating the feasibility of secret key generation for link-layer encryption using ultra wideband (UWB) signals. Taking advantage of the nanosecond-level temporal resolution offered by ultra wideband, we exploit channel reciprocity to extract highly detailed, noise-like channel measurements, in line with the physical-layer security paradigm. Three key generation algorithms, operating in both the time and frequency domains, are evaluated using real-world data collected through a dedicated measurement campaign in an industrial setting. The analysis, conducted under realistic conditions, examines the impact of practical impairments, such as imperfect channel reciprocity and timing misalignments, on the key agreement rate and the length of the generated keys. The results confirm the strong potential of ultra wideband technology to enable robust physical-layer security, offering a viable and efficient solution for securing wireless communications in complex and dynamic industrial internet-of-things environments.
Theoretical models of ultrawideband (UWB) radio channels indicate that pairs of UWB radio transceivers measure their common radio channel with a high degree of agreement and third parties are not be able to accurately estimate the state of the common channels. These properties allow generation of secret keys to support secure communications from UWB channels measurements. In this paper, the results of UWB propagation studies are presented that validate the required properties to support secret key generation in a typical indoor environment. Key generation algorithms are employed on the measured data and key lengths on the order of thousands of bits are obtained capable of supporting most popular cryptographic systems. The paper also reports measurements of the spatial and temporal correlation of the UWB channel from which the relative privacy of the secret keys can be determined as well as the rate new secret keys may be generated.
There is growing interest in wireless security methods that provide strong or even perfect secrecy by taking advantage of features of the physical propagation channel. In advantage-based methods, high channel quality in an average or opportunistic sense is exploited between two legitimate nodes, such that nonzero secrecy capacity can be achieved. Since such methods require bounds on the quality of the eavesdropper channel, they are somewhat impractical. Secret key generation based on tracking channel evolution in time division duplex systems is a more attractive option, where two nodes generate secret key bits based on a mutually known random channel. Since the eavesdropper channel is typically independent of the legitimate channel, the key can only be broken by brute force attacks, which are difficult when new keys are continuously generated. In this paper, the information theoretic limits of key generation schemes are investigated, based on the level of estimation error, temporal correlation, and dependence of the eavesdropper and legitimate channels. Three practical candidate key generation schemes are also considered: channel quantization and channel quantization with guardband.