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

IEEE/CIC International Conference on Communications in China (ICCC)

Secrecy Performance Analysis in Internet of Satellites: Physical Layer Security Perspective

Yongpeng Shi, Ya Zhe Gao, Yujie Xia

Published Aug 9, 2020• 9 citations
Publisher

Abstract

As the latest evolving architecture of space networks, Internet of Satellites (IoSat) is regarded as a promising paradigm in the future beyond 5G and 6G wireless systems. However, due to the extremely large number of satellites and open links, it is challenging to ensure communication security in IoSat, especially for wiretap resisting. To the best of our knowledge, it is an entirely new problem to study the security issue in IoSat, since existing works concerning physical layer security (PLS) in satellite networks mainly focused on the space-to-terrestrial links. It is also noted that, we are the first to investigate PLS problem in IoSat. In light of this, we present in this paper an analytical model of PLS in IoSat where a terrestrial transmitter delivers its information to multi-satellite in the presence of eavesdroppers. By adopting the key parameters such as satellites' deployment density, minimum elevation angle, and orbit height, two major secrecy metric including average secrecy capacity and probability are derived and analyzed. As demonstrated by extensive numerical results, the presented theoretical framework can be utilized to efficiently evaluate the secrecy performance of IoSat, and guide the design and optimization for communication security in such systems.

DOI
10.1109/iccc49849.2020.9238951

Related papers

Physical layer security in satellite communication: State‐of‐the‐art and open problems

Nora Abdelsalam, Saif M. Al-Kuwari, Aiman Erbad

Abstract Satellite communications have emerged as a promising extension of terrestrial networks in future 6G network research due to their extensive coverage in remote areas and their ability to support the increasing traffic rate and heterogeneous networks. Like other wireless communication technologies, satellite signals are transmitted in a shared medium, making them vulnerable to attacks such as eavesdropping, jamming, and spoofing. A good candidate to overcome these issues is physical layer security (PLS), which utilizes physical layer characteristics to provide security, mainly due to its suitability for resource‐limited devices such as satellites and IoT devices. This paper provides a comprehensive and up‐to‐date review of PLS solutions to secure satellite communication. Main satellite applications are classified into five domains: satellite‐terrestrial, satellite‐based IoT, satellite navigation systems, FSO‐based, and inter‐satellite. In each domain, how PLS can improve the overall security of the system, preserve desirable security properties, and resist widespread attacks are discussed and investigated. Finally, some gaps in the related literature are highlight and open research problems, including uplink secrecy techniques, smart threat models, authentication and integrity techniques, PLS for inter‐satellite links, and machine learning‐based PLS, are discussed.

arXiv:2301.03672•IET Communications•Jan 1, 2025•43 citations

Secure Communication in Non-Geostationary Orbit Satellite Systems: A Physical Layer Security Perspective

Yeqiu Xiao, Jia Liu, Yulong Shen +2 more

Satellite communication systems serve as an indispensable component of wireless heterogeneous networks in 5G era for providing various critical civil and military applications. However, due to the broadcast nature and full accessibility of wireless medium, serious security threats exist from such systems. As an effort to address this issue, this paper, for the first time, investigates the secure communication in a non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite system from a physical layer security perspective. Specifically, we focus on the downlink of an NGSO satellite which provides services to a fixed earth station and is wiretapped by a fixed eavesdropper. We first apply three types of orbiting models to characterize the movement state of the satellite. Based on the orbiting models, we then provide theoretical analysis for the secure communication performance of such a system. The expressions of two fundamental performance metrics, secrecy capacity and secrecy outage probability, are derived in a closed form for any system time. Finally, we conduct extensive simulations to validate our theoretical performance analysis and illustrate the security performance in a practical NGSO satellite communication system.

IEEE Access•Dec 10, 2018•27 citations

Challenges of Physical Layer Security in a Satellite-Terrestrial Network

Shuai Han, Jixi Li, Weixiao Meng +2 more

Integrated satellite-terrestrial networks (ISTNs) are one of the new research directions for future 5G networks. Satellite coverage enables 5G communication throughout most of the world. However, the security concerns associated with the inherent broadcast nature of satellites are rarely considered. As an emerging security paradigm in 5G terrestrial communication, physical layer security (PLS) could have potential applications in an ISTN. This article describes the challenges of applying PLS to an ISTN, including correlated channels, co-channel interference, multiuserand multi-eavesdropper scenarios, and reliability concerns. The impacts of these challenges on the security performance of an ISTN and the corresponding solutions are analyzed for further comparison. Finally, we conclude the article by predicting future trends of PLS in an ISTN.

IEEE Network•May 1, 2022•63 citations

A Survey on Physical Layer Security Schemes in Satellite Networks

Geunyeong Jang, Byungha You, Haejoon Jung

The terrestrial and the non-terrestrial networks have been envisaged to be amalgamated to form the next generation networks. Further development in wireless communications may enable Internet of Things (IoT) to be extended to the large-scale wireless networks including satellites, which are vulnerable to both eavesdropping and malicious attacks by illegal users. In this context, physical layer security (PLS) has been attracting increasing attention on the ground of its potential to overcome those vulnerabilities with the randomness of the wireless channels. In this paper, we review the existing works on PLS in satellite communications and present the background of the satellite systems and the current challenges that need to be solved in the future.

International Conference on Information and Communication Technology Convergence (ICTC)•Oct 19, 2022•8 citations

Review of Physical Layer Security in Integrated Satellite–Terrestrial Networks

Rajnish Kumar, Shlomi Arnon

With the success and commercialization of 5G, 3GPP has started working toward the sixth generation of communication systems. While 5G explored the concept of non-terrestrial networks like satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles working alongside terrestrial networks, 6G is expected to take this integration a step further, aiming to achieve a more coherent network where satellites and terrestrial infrastructure work together seamlessly. However, the complexity and uniqueness of such networks create numerous attack surfaces that make them vulnerable to cyberattacks. The solution to such cyberattacks can be addressed by encryption and other upper-layer authentication methods. However, with the move to higher-frequency bands, such encryption techniques are difficult to scale for low-latency networks. In addition, the recent progress in quantum computing will make networks more vulnerable. To address such challenges, physical layer security (PLS) is proposed as a secure and quantum-resistant way to implement security by taking advantage of the physics of the channel and transceiver. This article reviews the latest trends and progress in PLS in integrated satellite–terrestrial networks (ISTNs) from a signal processing perspective. This work provides a comprehensive survey of the state-of-the-art research conducted, challenges, and future directions in the PLS of ISTNs.

Electronics•Nov 11, 2024•16 citations

On the Secrecy Sum-Rate of Internet of Things Networks: Scheduling and Power Control

Inkyu Bang, Seong Ho Chae, Bang Chul Jung

Physical-layer security (PLS) has attracted much attention in wireless communications and has been considered one of the main candidates for enhancing wireless security in future 6G networks. Recent studies in the PLS area have focused on investigating and analyzing the characteristics of secure transmissions in multiuser networks (e.g., the massive number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices in 6G networks). Due to the difficulty of obtaining the exact secrecy capacity region in wireless multiuser networks, several alternative methods are used to characterize the secrecy performance of multiuser networks. For example, we can analyze the secrecy sum-rate scaling in terms of the number of users based on multiuser diversity (MUD). In this paper, we propose an opportunistic user scheduling scheme that achieves optimal MUD gain, combined with a power control mechanism for reducing information leakage to multiple eavesdroppers in wireless networks. The proposed scheme considers multiuser transmissions in one scheduling time slot by adopting orthogonal random beamforming at the receiver to exploit the full degrees-of-freedom gain with an assumption that each user (or IoT device) is equipped with a single antenna, and base station and eavesdroppers have multiple antennas. The main contribution of this paper is to derive the analytic result of the achievable secrecy sum-rate scaling in a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime. We evaluate the performance of the proposed scheduling scheme with a power control mechanism through simulations with both internal and external eavesdropping scenarios. We further discuss the extensibility of our analysis to various applications such as satellite communications and IoT networks.

Electronics•May 27, 2024•0 citations
As the latest evolving architecture of space networks, Internet of Satellites (IoSat) is regarded as a promising paradigm in the future beyond 5G and 6G wireless systems. However, due to the extremely large number of satellites and open links, it is challenging to ensure communication security in IoSat, especially for wiretap resisting. To the best of our knowledge, it is an entirely new problem to study the security issue in IoSat, since existing works concerning physical layer security (PLS) in satellite networks mainly focused on the space-to-terrestrial links. It is also noted that, we are the first to investigate PLS problem in IoSat. In light of this, we present in this paper an analytical model of PLS in IoSat where a terrestrial transmitter delivers its information to multi-satellite in the presence of eavesdroppers. By adopting the key parameters such as satellites' deployment density, minimum elevation angle, and orbit height, two major secrecy metric including average secrecy capacity and probability are derived and analyzed. As demonstrated by extensive numerical results, the presented theoretical framework can be utilized to efficiently evaluate the secrecy performance of IoSat, and guide the design and optimization for communication security in such systems.
Abstract Satellite communications have emerged as a promising extension of terrestrial networks in future 6G network research due to their extensive coverage in remote areas and their ability to support the increasing traffic rate and heterogeneous networks. Like other wireless communication technologies, satellite signals are transmitted in a shared medium, making them vulnerable to attacks such as eavesdropping, jamming, and spoofing. A good candidate to overcome these issues is physical layer security (PLS), which utilizes physical layer characteristics to provide security, mainly due to its suitability for resource‐limited devices such as satellites and IoT devices. This paper provides a comprehensive and up‐to‐date review of PLS solutions to secure satellite communication. Main satellite applications are classified into five domains: satellite‐terrestrial, satellite‐based IoT, satellite navigation systems, FSO‐based, and inter‐satellite. In each domain, how PLS can improve the overall security of the system, preserve desirable security properties, and resist widespread attacks are discussed and investigated. Finally, some gaps in the related literature are highlight and open research problems, including uplink secrecy techniques, smart threat models, authentication and integrity techniques, PLS for inter‐satellite links, and machine learning‐based PLS, are discussed.
Satellite communication systems serve as an indispensable component of wireless heterogeneous networks in 5G era for providing various critical civil and military applications. However, due to the broadcast nature and full accessibility of wireless medium, serious security threats exist from such systems. As an effort to address this issue, this paper, for the first time, investigates the secure communication in a non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite system from a physical layer security perspective. Specifically, we focus on the downlink of an NGSO satellite which provides services to a fixed earth station and is wiretapped by a fixed eavesdropper. We first apply three types of orbiting models to characterize the movement state of the satellite. Based on the orbiting models, we then provide theoretical analysis for the secure communication performance of such a system. The expressions of two fundamental performance metrics, secrecy capacity and secrecy outage probability, are derived in a closed form for any system time. Finally, we conduct extensive simulations to validate our theoretical performance analysis and illustrate the security performance in a practical NGSO satellite communication system.
Integrated satellite-terrestrial networks (ISTNs) are one of the new research directions for future 5G networks. Satellite coverage enables 5G communication throughout most of the world. However, the security concerns associated with the inherent broadcast nature of satellites are rarely considered. As an emerging security paradigm in 5G terrestrial communication, physical layer security (PLS) could have potential applications in an ISTN. This article describes the challenges of applying PLS to an ISTN, including correlated channels, co-channel interference, multiuserand multi-eavesdropper scenarios, and reliability concerns. The impacts of these challenges on the security performance of an ISTN and the corresponding solutions are analyzed for further comparison. Finally, we conclude the article by predicting future trends of PLS in an ISTN.
The terrestrial and the non-terrestrial networks have been envisaged to be amalgamated to form the next generation networks. Further development in wireless communications may enable Internet of Things (IoT) to be extended to the large-scale wireless networks including satellites, which are vulnerable to both eavesdropping and malicious attacks by illegal users. In this context, physical layer security (PLS) has been attracting increasing attention on the ground of its potential to overcome those vulnerabilities with the randomness of the wireless channels. In this paper, we review the existing works on PLS in satellite communications and present the background of the satellite systems and the current challenges that need to be solved in the future.
With the success and commercialization of 5G, 3GPP has started working toward the sixth generation of communication systems. While 5G explored the concept of non-terrestrial networks like satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles working alongside terrestrial networks, 6G is expected to take this integration a step further, aiming to achieve a more coherent network where satellites and terrestrial infrastructure work together seamlessly. However, the complexity and uniqueness of such networks create numerous attack surfaces that make them vulnerable to cyberattacks. The solution to such cyberattacks can be addressed by encryption and other upper-layer authentication methods. However, with the move to higher-frequency bands, such encryption techniques are difficult to scale for low-latency networks. In addition, the recent progress in quantum computing will make networks more vulnerable. To address such challenges, physical layer security (PLS) is proposed as a secure and quantum-resistant way to implement security by taking advantage of the physics of the channel and transceiver. This article reviews the latest trends and progress in PLS in integrated satellite–terrestrial networks (ISTNs) from a signal processing perspective. This work provides a comprehensive survey of the state-of-the-art research conducted, challenges, and future directions in the PLS of ISTNs.
Physical-layer security (PLS) has attracted much attention in wireless communications and has been considered one of the main candidates for enhancing wireless security in future 6G networks. Recent studies in the PLS area have focused on investigating and analyzing the characteristics of secure transmissions in multiuser networks (e.g., the massive number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices in 6G networks). Due to the difficulty of obtaining the exact secrecy capacity region in wireless multiuser networks, several alternative methods are used to characterize the secrecy performance of multiuser networks. For example, we can analyze the secrecy sum-rate scaling in terms of the number of users based on multiuser diversity (MUD). In this paper, we propose an opportunistic user scheduling scheme that achieves optimal MUD gain, combined with a power control mechanism for reducing information leakage to multiple eavesdroppers in wireless networks. The proposed scheme considers multiuser transmissions in one scheduling time slot by adopting orthogonal random beamforming at the receiver to exploit the full degrees-of-freedom gain with an assumption that each user (or IoT device) is equipped with a single antenna, and base station and eavesdroppers have multiple antennas. The main contribution of this paper is to derive the analytic result of the achievable secrecy sum-rate scaling in a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime. We evaluate the performance of the proposed scheduling scheme with a power control mechanism through simulations with both internal and external eavesdropping scenarios. We further discuss the extensibility of our analysis to various applications such as satellite communications and IoT networks.