Channel Precoding Based Message Authentication in Wireless Networks: Challenges and Solutions

Abstract

Due to the broadcast characteristic of the wireless medium, message impersonation and substitution attacks can possibly be launched by an adversary with low cost in wireless communication networks. As an ingenious solution, physical layer based message authentication can achieve perfect security by leveraging channel precoding techniques to meet high level security requirements. In this article, we focus on channel-precoding- based message authentication (CPC-based authentication) over a binary-input wiretap channel (BIWC). Specifically, message authentication with physical layer techniques is first reviewed. Then, a CPC-based authentication framework and its security requirements are presented. Based on the proposed framework, an authentication scheme with polar codes over a binary symmetric wiretap channel (BSWC) is developed. Moreover, a case study is provided as an example of message authentication with polar codes over BSWC. Finally, open research topics essential to CPC-based authentication are discussed.