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IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications

Physical-Layer Security for Indoor VLC Wiretap Systems Under Multipath Reflections

Fan Yang, Jingjing Wang, Yuhan Dong

Published Jul 20, 2022• 22 citations
Publisher

Abstract

In this paper, we consider the physical-layer security for single-input single-output (SISO) indoor visible light communication (VLC) wiretap systems in the presence of multipath reflections. We derive both the lower and upper bounds on the secrecy capacity in the context of both the symbol- and block-based transmission policies. To enhance the secrecy performance relying on block transmission policy, we propose a low-complexity amplitude scaling (AS) scheme by scaling the amplitudes of different symbols in each block to maximize the achievable secrecy rate. We further provide the upper bound on the optimal secrecy rate achieved by precoding for the sake of validating the effectiveness of the proposed AS scheme. Numerical results suggest that the secrecy performance is severely degraded by inter-symbol interference (ISI) imposed by multipath reflections, which yet can be alleviated by long-block based transmission. Moreover, the proposed AS scheme can enhance the secrecy performance significantly and achieve a secrecy rate very close to the optimal solution.

DOI
10.1109/twc.2022.3190362

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In this paper, we consider the physical-layer security for single-input single-output (SISO) indoor visible light communication (VLC) wiretap systems in the presence of multipath reflections. We derive both the lower and upper bounds on the secrecy capacity in the context of both the symbol- and block-based transmission policies. To enhance the secrecy performance relying on block transmission policy, we propose a low-complexity amplitude scaling (AS) scheme by scaling the amplitudes of different symbols in each block to maximize the achievable secrecy rate. We further provide the upper bound on the optimal secrecy rate achieved by precoding for the sake of validating the effectiveness of the proposed AS scheme. Numerical results suggest that the secrecy performance is severely degraded by inter-symbol interference (ISI) imposed by multipath reflections, which yet can be alleviated by long-block based transmission. Moreover, the proposed AS scheme can enhance the secrecy performance significantly and achieve a secrecy rate very close to the optimal solution.
Visible light communication (VLC) is a promising technology for next-generation indoor wireless broadband communication systems. Physical layer security (PLS) is one proposed method to ensure data security for VLC in public areas. However, most PLS studies in the literature neglect the reflections in the VLC channel and do not consider inter-symbol interference (ISI). This paper investigates the ISI effects on the secrecy rate in multiple-input single-output VLC systems where the reflections are not neglected for the cases of perfect and imperfect knowledge of the eavesdropper’s channel state information. We aim to compensate for the ISI effects by designing zero-forcing (ZF) and artificial noise (AN) beamformers. In addition, we formulate optimization problems to maximize the secrecy rate resulting in non-convex and NP-hard problems. Thus, we utilize the particle swarm optimization algorithm for solutions and also convert non-convex optimization problems into easily solvable linear problems. Furthermore, robust ZF and AN beamformers for the worst-case scenario are considered for the cases of ISI and no ISI. The results reveal that ISI severely degrades the secrecy rate; however, well-designed beamformers can reverse the ISI effects.
This paper considers secure transmission over the visible light communication (VLC) channel by the means of physical-layer security techniques. In particular, we consider achievable secrecy rates of the multiple-input, single-output (MISO) wiretap VLC channel. The VLC channel is modeled as a deterministic and real-valued Gaussian channel subject to amplitude constraints. We utilize null-steering and artificial noise strategies to achieve positive secrecy rates when the eavesdropper's channel state information (CSI) is perfectly known and entirely unknown to the transmitter, respectively. In both scenarios, the legitimate receiver's CSI is available to the transmitter. We numerically evaluate achievable secrecy rates under typical VLC scenarios and show that simple precoding techniques can significantly improve the confidentiality of VLC links.
Physical-layer security is desirable for visible light communication (VLC) in order to hide information from unauthorized receivers, without reliance on upper-layer encryption. In this paper, we propose a physical-layer secure coding scheme based on polar codes to achieve secrecy capacity of indoor VLC under Wyner's wiretap model. Compared with the beamforming approach requiring multiple-input, single-output (MISO) VLC, the proposed scheme can obtain security and reliability simultaneously for indoor single-input, single-output (SISO) VLC with binary-input discrete memoryless channels (BDMCs). Numerical results show that when the wiretap channel is degraded with respect to the main channel, the secrecy capacity can be asymptotically achieved to transmit the secret information.
This paper considers improving the confidentiality of visible light communication (VLC) links within the framework of physical-layer security. We study a VLC scenario with one transmitter, one legitimate receiver, and one eavesdropper. The transmitter has multiple light sources, while the legitimate and unauthorized receivers have a single photodetector, each. We characterize secrecy rates achievable via transmit beamforming over the multiple-input, single-output (MISO) VLC wiretap channel. For VLC systems, intensity modulation (IM) via light-emitting diodes (LEDs) is the most practical transmission scheme. Because of the limited dynamic range of typical LEDs, the modulating signal must satisfy certain amplitude constraints. Hence, we begin with deriving lower and upper bounds on the secrecy capacity of the scalar Gaussian wiretap channel subject to amplitude constraints. Then, we utilize beamforming to obtain a closed-form secrecy rate expression for the MISO wiretap channel. Finally, we propose a robust beamforming scheme to consider the scenario wherein information about the eavesdropper's channel is imperfect due to location uncertainty. A typical application of the proposed scheme is to secure the communication link when the eavesdropper is expected to exist within a specified area. The performance is measured in terms of the worst-case secrecy rate guaranteed under all admissible realizations of the eavesdropper's channel.
Visible-light communication (VLC) is an enabling technology that exploits the lighting infrastructure to provide ubiquitous indoor broadband coverage via high-speed short-range wireless communication links. On the other hand, physical-layer security has the potential to supplement conventional encryption methods with an additional secrecy measure that is provably unbreakable regardless of the computational power of the eavesdropper. The lack of wave-guiding transmission media in VLC channels makes the communication link inherently susceptible to eavesdropping by unauthorized users existing in areas illuminated by the data transmitters. In this thesis, we study transmission techniques that enhance the secrecy of VLC links within the framework of physical-layer security. Due to linearity limitations of typical light-emitting diodes (LEDs), the VLC channel is more accurately modelled with amplitude constraints on the channel input, rather than the conventional average power constraint. Such amplitude constraints render the prevalent Gaussian input distribution infeasible for VLC channels, making it difficult to obtain closed-form secrecy capacity expressions. Thus, we begin with deriving lower bounds on the secrecy capacity of the Gaussian wiretap channel subject to amplitude constraints. We then consider the design of optimal beamformers for secrecy rate maximization in the multiple-input single-output (MISO) wiretap channel under amplitude constraints. We show that the design problem is nonconvex and difficult to solve, however it can be recast as a solvable quasiconvex line search problem. We also consider the design of robust beamformers for worst-case secrecy rate maximization when channel uncertainty is taken into account. Finally, we study the design of linear precoders for the two-user MISO broadcast channel with confidential messages. We consider not only amplitude constraints, but also total and per-antenna average power constraints. We formulate the design problem as a nonconvex weighted secrecy sum rate maximization problem, and provide an efficient search algorithm to obtain a solution for such a nonconvex problem. We extend our approach to handle uncertainty in channel information. The design techniques developed throughout the thesis provide valuable tools for tackling real-world problems in which channel uncertainty is almost always inevitable and amplitude constraints are often necessary to accurately model hardware limitations.
Visible light communication (VLC) can provide short-range optical wireless communication together with illumination using LED lightings. Since VLC channel is an open wireless channel, physical-layer security is desirable in order to hide secret information from unauthorized receivers, without reliance on upper-layer cryptographic techniques. In this paper, a secure coding scheme based on polar codes is proposed to simultaneously achieve physical-layer security and transmission reliability for indoor VLC systems under Wyner's wiretap model. An indoor VLC degraded wiretap channel model and an indoor VLC undegraded wiretap model are analyzed to estimate the corresponding secrecy capacity with typical indoor VLC scenarios considering the requirements of illumination and reliable transmission. Then, a physical-layer secure coding scheme and an enhanced scheme are designed to provide securely reliable communication without sacrificing the illumination functionality. Numerical results show that for VLC degraded wiretap channel, the proposed coding scheme can reduce the bit error rate (BER) of main channel to nearly 0 and increase that of wiretap channel to 0.5. Therefore, the mutual information between the sender and the eavesdropper and the BER of the legitimate receiver are both decreased to nearly 0. Both the security and reliability of VLC are guaranteed by the proposed coding scheme. And the practical secrecy rate reaches 85.96% at some positions when codeword length is 2 048 bits. Furthermore, an enhanced coding scheme with a feedback channel is proposed to handle the case that the wiretap channel is not degraded with respect to the main channel. With the feedback channel, the wiretap channel can be equivalently degraded and the security can be increased gradually with the increment of the degradation level of the wiretap channel. Meanwhile, the secrecy capacities can be asymptotically achieved for indoor VLC systems.