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IEEE Military Communications Conference (MILCOM)

Efficient and Robust Physical Layer Key Generation

Tianyi Peng, Wenhan Dai, Moe Z. Win

Published Nov 1, 2019• 6 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Physical layer key generation is a promising privacy protection technique suitable for devices with limited computational ability. In this work, we design a key generation algorithm based on orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) waveforms and implement the algorithm on a testbed. By exploiting the holistic channel state information (CSI), we improve the key generation rate (KGR) significantly. The performance of the algorithm and the secrecy of generated keys are evaluated by experimentation. Then, we design a cross-layer encryption protocol based on our key generation algorithm and the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). We provide a mathematical framework to show that the secrecy of the encryption is enhanced compared to traditional encryption schemes with one pre-shared key (e.g., WPA2-PSK), even when some generated keys are leaked to the eavesdropper. The results lead to practical and robust applications of physical layer key generation.

DOI
10.1109/milcom47813.2019.9020770

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Physical layer key generation is a promising privacy protection technique suitable for devices with limited computational ability. In this work, we design a key generation algorithm based on orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) waveforms and implement the algorithm on a testbed. By exploiting the holistic channel state information (CSI), we improve the key generation rate (KGR) significantly. The performance of the algorithm and the secrecy of generated keys are evaluated by experimentation. Then, we design a cross-layer encryption protocol based on our key generation algorithm and the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). We provide a mathematical framework to show that the secrecy of the encryption is enhanced compared to traditional encryption schemes with one pre-shared key (e.g., WPA2-PSK), even when some generated keys are leaked to the eavesdropper. The results lead to practical and robust applications of physical layer key generation.
In this paper, a novel physical layer key generation method for extracting secret key from mutual channel information in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems has been proposed. Firstly, a well-designed data extraction process has been introduced to reduce the redundancy and inconsistency of channel state information (CSI). After that, a new quantization method using gray code is proposed. Furthermore, an associated method is designed to reduce key error rate (KER). With these improvements, higher key generation rate (KGR) can be obtained compared to existing methods. Finally, available secret keys have been generated after information reconciliation and privacy amplification. The proposed method has been analyzed and verified in long term evolution advanced (LTE-A) systems and the generated secret keys have passed randomness test.
As a new way to enhance wireless communication security, secret key generation based on physical layer channel characteristics has emerged. In this paper, we propose a novel secret key generation algorithm based on wireless channel characteristics for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) communication systems. The mean quantization algorithm is applied to quantize the real part and imaginary part of OFDM subcarriers, respectively, which can significantly increase the length of the generated secret key in the OFDM system. To reduce the consistency between the secret keys generated by the eavesdropper and the legitimate communication nodes, a processing method by taking the subcarrier phase as initialization of a scrambling code and scrambling the quantized result is proposed. The simulation and test results show that compared with the existing research, the proposed algorithm can improve the key generation rate (KGR), reduce the key mismatch rate (KMR) and complexity, maintain high randomness, and disturb the eavesdroppers.
As aspects of our daily lives become more interconnected with the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT), it is imperative that our devices are reliable and secure from threats. Vulnerabilities of Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA/WPA2) have been exposed in the past, motivating the use of multiple security techniques, even with the release of WPA3. Physical layer security leverages existing components of communication systems to enable methods of protecting devices that are well-suited for IoT applications. In this work, we provide a low-complexity technique for generating secret keys at the Physical layer to enable improved IoT security. We leverage the existing carrier frequency offset (CFO) and channel estimation components of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) receivers for an efficient approach. The key generation algorithm we propose focuses on the unique CFO and channel experienced between a pair of desired nodes, and to the best of our understanding, the combination of the features has not been examined previously for the purpose of secret key generation. Our techniques are appropriate for IoT devices, as they do not require extensive processing capabilities and are based on second order statistics. We obtain experimental results using USRP N210 software defined radios and analyze the performance of our methods in post-processing. Our techniques improve the capability of desired nodes to establish matching secret keys, while hindering the threat of an eavesdropper, and are useful for protecting future IoT devices.
In this letter, novel algorithms for secret key generation from the wireless channel in multi-carrier systems are proposed for ensuring the confidentiality and authentication in wireless communication systems. The novelty of the proposed algorithms lies in the generation of random secret bits not just from the magnitudes of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) subchannels as it has conventionally been done in the literature, but also from the indices/positions of the subchannels corresponding to highest gains. Thus, the proposed algorithms provide additional dimensions for enhancing overall key rates. The efficiency of the proposed algorithms is evaluated in terms of key mismatch rate (KMR) and key generation rate (KGR). Simulation results showed that the proposed algorithms can enhance the overall performance of physical layer key-based algorithms by providing extra dimensions for secret key generation.
This letter improves the confidentiality of visible light communication links by proposing a robust key-generation mechanism for optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems in an indoor environment. In this letter, we propose to generate keys from the bipolar OFDM samples at the output of optical OFDM systems. We suggest to assign a part of cyclic prefix samples located in the region of small channel effect for keys generation during session period. The proposed scheme generates keys for medium access control (MAC) sublayer and physical layer. It provides high computational security against passive eavesdroppers in the physical level, because each signal frame is encrypted by a different key. So, the encryption in MAC level can be turned off without any risk in security. This setting can enhance the system throughput. Also, the implemented method achieves zero bit disagreement rates with key generation on the fly.
This paper presents a key generation system derived from the channel response of individual subcarrier in orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. Practical aspects of the security were investigated by implementing our key generation scheme on a wireless open-access research platform (WARP), which enables us to obtain channel estimation of individual OFDM subcarriers, a feature not currently available in most commercial wireless interface cards. Channel response of individual OFDM subcarrier is usually a wide sense stationary random process, which allows us to find the optimal probing period and maximize the key generation rate. The implementation requires cross layer design as it involves interaction between physical and MAC layer. We have experimentally verified the feasibility and principles of key generation, and also evaluated the performance of our system in terms of randomness, key generation rate and key disagreement rate, which proves that OFDM subcarrier's channel responses are valid for key generation.