WPR.A - Security in Wireless Networks

Objectives

In his seminal work Shannon formalized the concepts of capacity (as a transmission efficiency measure) and equivocation (as a measure of secrecy). While the concept of capacity has been extended to fading channels with the introduction of concepts like the outage capacity or the ergodic capacity, similar paths are yet to be developed concerning equivocation. Basically the goal of this task is to further formalize secrecy concepts for fading channels. A particularly intriguing opportunity is the security that is provided by the random channel. The random channel naturally provides a level of protection against wire-tapping and similar attacks.

Description of work

Task TA.1: Secrecy capacity of Wireless Networks

The goal of this Task is to determine secrecy capacity regions for fading channels in the multi-user setting. In particular, the paralleler broadcast and multiple access channels with confidential messages will be investigated. The sender needs to send a confidential message to only one receiver without the ability of other parties to retrieve the message. The case of full and partial CSI at the transmitter will be investigated.  We will also investigate entropy sharing between two users from bidirectional observation of fading channels. In particular, the rate at which an eavesdropper can gain information about the channel between two spatially distant points will also be investigated. This would provide a measure of the achievable secret-key rate defined by Maurer.

Main players: CNRS, FTW, Technion

Task TA.2: Security in Wireless Sensor Networks

The aim of this task is to investigate security mechanisms and features needed in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). The main focus will be on Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs) that are specifically designed for WSN environments with devices and communication links that have limited capacity. Principles for lightweight intrusion detection as well as resource efficient methods for data collection will be studied. Furthermore, threat models and attack scenarios for WSNs must be investigated, since detailed descriptions of potential threats and known vulnerabilities are such important input parameters to the IDS design. Finally, the same parameters will be considered to define a framework enabling a formal description of a WSN system, the analysis of weaknesses impact on system functioning and an effective selection of the most proper security countermeasures to be adopted.

Main players: CNRS, Chalmers, ISMB