Abstract

This paper examines the security vulnerabilities and threats imposed by the inherent open nature of wireless communications and to devise efficient defense mechanisms for improving the wireless network security. We first summarize the security requirements of wireless networks, including their authenticity, confidentiality, integrity and availability issues. Next, a comprehensive overview of security attacks encountered in wireless networks is presented in view of the network protocol architecture, where the potential security threats are discussed at each protocol layer. We also provide a survey of the existing security protocols and algorithms that are adopted in the existing wireless network standards, such as the Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, and the long-term evolution (LTE) systems. Then, we discuss the state-of-the-art in physical-layer security, which is an emerging technique of securing the open communications environment against eavesdropping attacks at the physical layer. We also introduce the family of various jamming attacks and their counter-measures, including the constant jammer, intermittent jammer, reactive jammer, adaptive jammer and intelligent jammer. Additionally, we discuss the integration of physical-layer security into existing authentication and cryptography mechanisms for further securing wireless networks. Finally, some technical challenges which remain unresolved at the time of writing are summarized and the future trends in wireless security are discussed.

Highlights

  • During the past decades, wireless communications infrastructure and services have been proliferating with the goal of meeting rapidly increasing demands [1], [2]

  • A comprehensive overview of security attacks encoun- discuss the integration of physical-layer security into existing tered in wireless networks is presented in view of the net- authentication and cryptography mechanisms for further sework protocol architecture, where the potential security curing wireless networks

  • In order to combat we present a systematic review of various jamming attacks, existing wireless systems typi- security vulnerabilities and weaknesses encountered in cally consider the employment of spread spectrum wireless networks

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Summary

A Survey on Wireless Security

This paper examines the security vulnerabilities and threats in wireless communications and investigates efficient defense mechanisms for improving the security of wireless networks, with special attention to physical-layer security, an emerging paradigm. The wireless air interface is open and accessible to both a survey of the existing security protocols and algorithms authorized and illegitimate users. This completely differs that are adopted in the existing wireless network standards, from a wired network, where communicating devices are such as the Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, and the long-term evophysically connected through cables and a node without di- lution (LTE) systems. A comprehensive overview of security attacks encoun- discuss the integration of physical-layer security into existing tered in wireless networks is presented in view of the net- authentication and cryptography mechanisms for further sework protocol architecture, where the potential security curing wireless networks. Zou et al.: A Survey on Wireless Security: Technical Challenges, Recent Advances, and Future Trends

INTRODUCTION
SECURITY REQUIREMENTS IN WIRELESS NETWORKS
SECURITY DEFENSE PROTOCOLS AND PARADIGMS FOR WIRELESS NETWORKS
WIRELESS JAMMING ATTACKS AND THEIR COUNTERMEASURES
INTEGRATION OF PHYSICAL-LAYER SECURITY INTO EXISTING WIRELESS NETWORKS
VIII. OPEN CHALLENGES AND FUTURE WORK
Cross-Layer Wireless Security Design and Analysis
Physical-Layer Security for the Emerging 5G Systems
Field Experiments for Physical-Layer Security Investigations
Findings
CONCLUSION
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