A survey on secure communication techniques for 5G wireless heterogeneous networks

Abstract

With the increasing number of emerging robust networks, the challenges to design new security protocols and techniques are never ending. With the enlargement of 5G paradigm, there is a remarkable makeshift in how the distributed devices perform to achieve a common goal. The 5G technology has been significantly revolutionized by the advent of the Internet of Things, and its quick and pervasive evolution. However, it remains imperative that all these devices work in a sequential manner to execute a collective and secure operation. Despite computing being focused around cloud infrastructures in the last two decades, the 5G networks and the huge amount of data it generates is presently inverting this trend, shifting computing power back to where data is generated from. To encompass different autonomous and collaborative systems with functions of data sensing and authentication between such systems in a predictive and adaptive manner is a challenging task. Wireless network design in 5G is expected to emphasize broadly on three facets: security, privacy and energy efficiency. Therefore, this paper investigates the role of various data security and privacy techniques for different generation networks, but emphasis is on 5G. It addresses encryption schemes with the focus on the challenges faced such as side channel and ciphertext attacks, inherent key generation, sharing and distribution, key escrow, analysis of various overheads, and potential techniques, and solutions to address such challenges by leveraging 5G network devices. With the proliferation of ubiquitous computing and wide adoption of hybrid encryption techniques, various attacks will be circumvent in an intelligent manner.