The Gaussian Multiple Access Wire-Tap Channel with Collective Secrecy Constraints

Abstract

We consider the Gaussian multiple access wire-tap channel (GMAC-WT). In this scenario, multiple users communicate with an intended receiver in the presence of an intelligent and informed wire-tapper who receives a degraded version of the signal at the receiver. We define a suitable security measure for this multi-access environment. We derive an outer bound for the rate region such that secrecy to some pre-determined degree can be maintained. We also find, using Gaussian codebooks, an achievable such secrecy region. Gaussian codewords are shown to achieve the sum capacity outer bound, and the achievable region coincides with the outer bound for Gaussian codewords, giving the capacity region when inputs are constrained to be Gaussian. We present numerical results showing the new rate region and compare it with that of the Gaussian multiple-access channel (GMAC) with no secrecy constraints