In this paper, a method is proposed for improving the physical layer security for indoor visible light communication (VLC) networks with angle diversity transmitters. An angle diversity transmitter usually consists of multiple narrow-beam light-emitting diode (LED) elements with different orientations. Angle diversity transmitters are suitable for confidential data transmission, since data transmission via narrow light beams can effectively avoid the leakage of messages. In order to improve security performance, protection zones are introduced to the systems with angle diversity transmitters. Simulation results show that over 50% performance improvement can be obtained by adding protection zones.
In this paper, a method is proposed for improving the physical layer security for indoor visible light communication (VLC) networks with angle diversity transmitters. An angle diversity transmitter usually consists of multiple narrow-beam light-emitting diode (LED) elements with different orientations. Angle diversity transmitters are suitable for confidential data transmission, since data transmission via narrow light beams can effectively avoid the leakage of messages. In order to improve security performance, protection zones are introduced to the systems with angle diversity transmitters. Simulation results show that over 50% performance improvement can be obtained by adding protection zones.
Visible light communication (VLC) is a new enabling communication technology that exploits illumination devices, mostly high-brightness light-emitting diodes (LEDs), to establish high-speed short-range wireless communication links. VLC is a promising technology that has gained significant interest in the last decade due to its high data rates and low cost of deployment. Although VLC systems are less susceptible to eavesdropping than RF systems since light does not penetrate through walls, they become as vulnerable as their radio-frequency (RF) counterparts when their nodes are deployed in public areas and/or when there are large windows. Thus, security for VLC systems is as important as it is for RF systems. Security in wireless communication systems may be enhanced by introducing physical layer security (PLS) techniques. In fact, PLS has been applied to a wide range of RF applications in an effort to improve the overall security by complementing existing cryptography-based security techniques. The potential of PLS stems from its ability of leveraging features of the surrounding environments via sophisticated encoding techniques at the physical layer. Indeed, PLS schemes can be applied in the same spirit to VLC systems. \n \nThere exist many specificities that characterize VLC systems, leading to major differences compared to RF systems. Specifically, VLC channels are quasi-static and real valued channels, which seemingly simplify the application of PLS techniques. However, due to the limited dynamic range of the LEDs, VLC systems impose an amplitude constraint on the channel input, which makes unbounded inputs not admissible. As a result, the performance of PLS schemes must be revised in the VLC context due to its different operating constraints. \n \nWe propose in this thesis enhancing the secrecy performance of VLC systems through PLS techniques. Firstly, we consider the degraded single-input single-output (SISO) VLC system. We derive achievable secrecy rates using continuous and discrete input distributions and we demonstrate the substantial improvement in the secrecy performance by using discrete distributions. Secondly, we consider the multiple-input single-output (MISO) VLC systems. We consider at first the case of randomly located eavesdroppers, in which we develop an associated achievable secrecy rate and we develop a beamforming-based precoding scheme that enhances the secrecy performance of this class of systems. In the second part, we consider the multi-user (MU) MISO broadcast system with confidential messages and we develop linear precoding schemes that enhance typical secrecy performance measures, including the max-min fairness and the weighted fairness. Finally, we consider the multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) VLC system. We derive achievable secrecy rates using continuous and discrete distributions and we develop linear precoding schemes that improve its secrecy performance.
This paper investigates the physical-layer data secure transmission for indoor visible light communications (VLC) with simultaneous lightwave information and power transfer (SLIPT) and random terminals. A typical indoor VLC system including one transmitter, one desired information receiver and one energy receiver is considered. The two receivers are randomly deployed on the floor, and the random channel characteristics is analyzed. Based on the possibility that the energy receiver is a passive information eavesdropper, the secrecy outage probability (SOP) and the average secrecy capacity (ASC) are employed to evaluate the system performance. A closed-form expression for the lower bound of the SOP and an exact closed-form expression for the ASC are derived, respectively. To further improve the physical-layer security, a protected zone based scheme is proposed, and then the SOP and the ASC are re-derived. By using Monte-Carlo simulations, the accuracy of the derived lower bound of SOP and the exact ASC are verified. Moreover, numerical results show that the security of the VLC system significantly improves by employing the protected zone.
This letter investigates the secure transmission improvement scheme for indoor visible light communications (VLC) by using the protected zone. Firstly, the system model is established. For the input signal, the non-negativity and the dimmable average optical intensity constraint are considered. Based on the system model, the secrecy capacity for VLC without considering the protected zone is obtained. After that, the protected zone is determined, and the construction of the protected zone is also provided. Finally, the secrecy capacity for VLC with the protected zone is derived. Numerical results show that the secure performance of VLC improves dramatically by employing the protected zone.
For most of the current research on physical-layer security in indoor visible light communication (VLC) systems, a static communication environment was mainly considered, where secure communication about static users was investigated. However, much secure problems remain to be settled about mobile users. To improve the secrecy performance of mobile users, a two-dimensional circular optical atto-cell with security protected zone is considered. The proposed VLC systems include a LED transmitter Alice, a mobile user Bob and a passive eavesdropper Eve. A typical random waypoint model (RWP) being assumed, the secrecy outage probability (SOP) and secrecy throughput (ST) have been investigated for mobile users in VLC systems. The theoretical analysis results have been verified through Monte Carlo simulations. The simulation results show that the secrecy performance of mobile users in VLC can be improved by enlarging the radius of protected zone, and it also depends on the target secrecy rate and the LEDs' configuration.
Summary Visible light communication (VLC) is considered to be a great replacement or complement to existing radio frequency networks to provide the future fifth‐generation (5G) wireless technology with higher data rates for indoor connectivity, which alleviates the traffic demand. Therefore, many issues emerged regarding the security in 5G networks as human safety is at risk. This work presents a comprehensive study on the physical‐layer security (PLS) and solutions in 5G networks, specifically, the security of VLC technology as one of the core PLS solutions for 5G future wireless networks. Furthermore, VLC threats and PLS solutions are extensively investigated. Based on our study, we propose a new indoor VLC secure model to enhance the secrecy performance in VLC networks using a combination of multiple PLS techniques to achieve this aim as beamforming, secure communication zones, and friendly jamming. The simulation results with respect to the received optical power and signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) prove that the proposed indoor VLC model can improve the secrecy performance. As the user's SNR exceeded 100 dB and optical received power reached 15 mW, the malicious user's SNR barely reached 30 dB with a 4‐μW received power outside the target zone increasing his interference level. Finally, future research directions in VLC security are outlined to encourage future research.
A conventional visible light communication system consists of a transmitter, a jammer that includes a few light emitting diodes, a legal listener and an eavesdropper. In this work, a similar system is designed with a collimating lens in order to create an extra layer of practical physical security measure. The use of a collimating lens makes it available to spatially limiting data transmission to an area under the lensed transmitter. Also focused data transmission through the optical lens, increases the secrecy rate. To investigate the applicability of the proposed design we designed a sample experimental setup using USRP and implemented in a laboratory environment. In the proposed set up, the receiver is in a fixed position. However, it is possible to implement an easy, practical and cheap hardware solution with respect to a beamforming type VLC that uses directional beam forming method to establish transmission to a dynamic target. In addition, it is achievable to control the size of the area where a receiver can access data by manipulating the distance between the optical lens and transmitter.