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IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing

Harvesting Physical-Layer Randomness in Millimeter Wave Bands

Ziqi Xu, Jingcheng Li, Yanjun Pan, Ming Li, Loukas Lazos

Published Nov 15, 2024• 2 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The unpredictability of the wireless channel has been used as a natural source of randomness to build physical-layer security primitives for shared key generation, authentication, access control, proximity verification, and other security properties. Compared to pseudo-random generators, it has the potential to achieve information-theoretic security. In sub-6 GHz frequencies, the randomness is harvested from the small-scale fading effects of RF signal propagation in rich scattering environments. However, the RF propagation characteristics follow sparse models with clustered paths when devices operate in millimeter-wave (mmWave) bands (5G and Next-Generation networks, Wi-Fi in 60GHz). Millimeter-wave transmissions are typically directional to increase the gain and combat high signal attenuation, leading to stable and more predictable channels. In this paper, we first demonstrate that state-of-the-art methods relying on channel state information or received signal strength measurements fail to produce high randomness. Accounting for the unique features of mmWave propagation, we propose a novel randomness extraction mechanism that exploits the random timing of channel blockage to harvest random bits. Compared with the prior art in CSI-based and context-based randomness extraction, our protocol remains secure againstpassive and active Man-in-the-Middle adversaries co-located with the legitimate devices. We demonstrate the security properties of our method in a 28 GHz mmWave testbed in an indoor setting.

DOI
10.1109/tmc.2024.3499876

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The unpredictability of the wireless channel has been used as a natural source of randomness to build physical-layer security primitives for shared key generation, authentication, access control, proximity verification, and other security properties. Compared to pseudo-random generators, it has the potential to achieve information-theoretic security. In sub-6 GHz frequencies, the randomness is harvested from the small-scale fading effects of RF signal propagation in rich scattering environments. However, the RF propagation characteristics follow sparse models with clustered paths when devices operate in millimeter-wave (mmWave) bands (5G and Next-Generation networks, Wi-Fi in 60GHz). Millimeter-wave transmissions are typically directional to increase the gain and combat high signal attenuation, leading to stable and more predictable channels. In this paper, we first demonstrate that state-of-the-art methods relying on channel state information or received signal strength measurements fail to produce high randomness. Accounting for the unique features of mmWave propagation, we propose a novel randomness extraction mechanism that exploits the random timing of channel blockage to harvest random bits. Compared with the prior art in CSI-based and context-based randomness extraction, our protocol remains secure againstpassive and active Man-in-the-Middle adversaries co-located with the legitimate devices. We demonstrate the security properties of our method in a 28 GHz mmWave testbed in an indoor setting.
A few years ago, physical layer based techniques have started to be considered as a way to improve security in wireless communications. A well known problem is the management of ciphering keys, both regarding the generation and distribution of these keys. A way to alleviate such difficulties is to use a common source of randomness for the legitimate terminals, not accessible to an eavesdropper. This is the case of the fading propagation channel, when exact or approximate reciprocity applies. Although this principle has been known for long, not so many works have evaluated the effect of radio channel properties in practical environments on the degree of randomness of the generated keys. To this end, we here investigate indoor radio channel measurements in different environments and settings at either 2.4625 GHz or 5.4 GHz band, of particular interest for WIFI related standards. Key bits are extracted by quantizing the complex channel coefficients and their randomness is evaluated using the NIST test suite. We then look at the impact of the carrier frequency, the channel variability in the space, time, and frequency degrees of freedom used to construct a long secret key, in relation to the nature of the radio environment such as the LOS/NLOS character.
Extracting secret keys from millimeter wave (mmWave) wireless channels fast and efficiently for securing communications between mmWave electronic devices is a challenge due to the limitations of static environments. In this paper, we propose a random beam switching (RBS) based physical layer key generation (PLKG) scheme in the mmWave systems. Utilizing the sparsity characteristics of mmWave channels between electronic devices, we apply virtual angles of effective-beams and activated-beams as the random source. Through channel detection, we establish an RBS space between the transmitter and receiver. Then they randomly select beams from the RBS space and transmit reference signals to generate consistent keys. Furthermore, by using information theory, we analyze the effectiveness, reliability and security performance of RBS scheme theoretically. Specifically, we derive the theoretical expression of key generation rate (KGR) and then obtain its upper bound. We also prove that the key mismatch ratio (KMR) approaches zero in the high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) region. Then we demonstrate that the eavesdropper cannot obtain any information about the activated-beams. Numerical results are provided to verify our theoretical analysis. We demonstrate that the RBS scheme can provide sufficient secret keys even in static environments while achieving good secrecy performance to safeguard electronic devices.
Wireless networks with directional antennas, like millimeter wave (mmWave) networks, have enhanced security. For a large scale mmWave ad hoc network in which eavesdroppers are randomly located, however, eavesdroppers can still intercept the confidential messages, since they may reside in the signal beam. This paper explores the potential of physical layer security in the mmWave ad hoc networks. Specifically, we characterize the impact of mmWave channel characteristics and large antenna arrays on the secrecy performance. We also characterize the impact of artificial noise in this networks. Our results reveal that in the low transmit power regime, the use of low mmWave frequency achieves better secrecy performance, when increasing transmit power, a transition from low mmWave frequency to high mmWave frequency is demanded for obtaining more secrecy rate. Eavesdroppers can intercept more information by using wide beam pattern. Furthermore, the use of artificial noise may be unable to enhance the secrecy rate for the case of low node density.
Secret key generation based on wireless channel reciprocity is a promising area of research towards ensuring secure wireless communication. In this paper, we propose a method of generating secret keys using channel diversity obtained via millimeter wave (mmWave) beamforming at 60 GHz. The pro-posed method is simulated using the QuaDRiGa channel model considering an industrial nonline of sight (NLOS) environment. We verify the method by conducting experiments using a 60 GHz software-defined-radio (SDR) communication system with a linear phased-array-antenna of 16 dual patch elements. Further, we present a composite key generation method in which both the real and imaginary parts of the channel state information (CSI) are utilised, and several sub-keys obtained from individual beam directions are appended. As a result, we can generate long composite keys with high entropy and secrecy. The keys randomness are assessed employing the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) statistical test suite, showing the generated keys are highly random.
Secret key generation in physical layer security exploits the unpredictable random nature of wireless channels. The millimeter-wave (mmWave) channels have limited multipath and channel randomness in static environments. In this paper, for mmWave secret key generation of physical layer security, we use a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) to induce randomness directly in wireless environments, without adding complexity to transceivers. We consider RIS to have continuous individual phase shifts (CIPS) and derive the RIS-assisted reflection channel distribution with its parameters. Then, we propose continuous group phase shifts (CGPS) to increase the randomness specifically at legal parties. Since the continuous phase shifts are expensive to implement, we analyze discrete individual phase shifts (DIPS) and derive the corresponding channel distribution, which is dependent on the quantization bit. We then derive the secret key rate (SKR) to evaluate the randomness performance. With the simulation results verifying the analytical results, this work explains the mathematical principles and lays a foundation for future mmWave evaluation and optimization of artificial channel randomness.
Millimeter wave (mmWave) communication encounters a major issue of extremely high power consumption. To address this problem, the simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) could be a promising technology. The mmWave frequencies are more appropriate for the SWIPT comparing to current low-frequency wireless transmissions, since mmWave base stations (BSs) can pack with large antenna arrays to achieve significant array gains and high-speed short-distance transmissions. Unfortunately, the implementation of SWIPT in the wireless communication may lead to an expanded defencelessness against the eavesdropping due to high transmission power and data spillage. It is conventionally believed that narrow beam offers inherent information-theoretic security against the eavesdropping, because only the eavesdroppers, which rely on the line-of-sight path between the legitimate transmitter and receiver, can receive strong enough signals. However, some mmWave experiments have shown that even by using highly directional mmWaves, the reflection signals caused by objects in the environment can be beneficial to the eavesdroppers. This paper studies the security performance in general mmWave SWIPT networks, and investigates the probability of successful eavesdropping under different attack models. Analytical expressions of eavesdropping success probability (ESP) of both independent and colluding eavesdroppers are derived by incorporating the random reflection paths in the environment. Theoretical analysis and simulation results reveal the effects of some key parameters on the ESP, such as the time switching strategy in SWIPT, densities of mmWave BSs, and carriers frequencies, etc. Based on the numerical and simulation results, some design suggestions of mmWave SWIPT are provided to defend against eavesdropping attacks and achieve secure communication in practice.