Theoretical security analysis of two-way fiber time transfer technique based on picosecond resolution simulation model

Abstract

We build a new two-way fiber time transfer technique (TWFTT) simulation model, and simulate controllable asymmetric attack of delay and attenuation. Both asymmetric attacks can make the clock in the remote module slower by attacking the 1pps signal from local to remote side. Otherwise, the clock will be faster. In this paper, the asymmetric delay attack can linearly control the synchronization error from 0 to 300 ps. The asymmetric attenuation attack can adjust the synchronization error from 0 ~ 302.7 ps with the controllable attenuation from 0 to 2.8 dB. Moreover, we find that the time interval counter change greatly when the system is attacked. The research has a significant meaning in defense of such asymmetric attacks.