Cutting-Edge Challenges in Communication Technology and Computer Network Security

The rapid development of communication technology and computer networks has brought a lot of convenience to production and life,but it also increases the security problem.Information security has become one of the severe challenges faced by people in the digital age.Currently,the security problems facing the field of communication technology and computer networks in China mainly include the evolution of offensive technology,the risk of large-scale data transmission,the potential vulnerabilities introduced by emerging technology,and the dilemma of user identity verification.This paper analyzes the frontier challenges of communication technology and computer network security,and puts forward corresponding solutions,hoping to provide ideas for coping with the security challenges of communication technology and computer networks.

Intelligent Reflecting Surface-Aided Secure and Covert Communications

This work employs intelligent reflecting surface(IRS)to enhance secure and covert communication performance.We formulate an optimization problem to jointly design both the reflection beamformer at IRS and transmit power at transmitter Alice in order to optimize the achievable secrecy rate at Bob subject to a covertness constraint.We first develop a Dinkelbach-based algorithm to achieve an upper bound performance and a high-quality solution.For reducing the overhead and computational complexity of the Dinkelbach-based scheme,we further conceive a low-complexity algorithm in which analytical expression for the IRS reflection beamforming is derived at each iteration.Examination result shows that the devised low-complexity algorithm is able to achieve similar secrecy rate performance as the Dinkelbach-based algorithm.Our examination also shows that introducing an IRS into the considered system can significantly improve the secure and covert communication performance relative to the scheme without IRS.

Energy-efficient joint UAV secure communication and 3D trajectory optimization assisted by reconfigurable intelligent surfaces in the presence of eavesdroppers

We consider a scenario where an unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV),a typical unmanned aerial system(UAS),transmits confidential data to a moving ground target in the presence of multiple eavesdroppers.Multiple friendly reconfigurable intelligent surfaces(RISs) help to secure the UAV-target communication and improve the energy efficiency of the UAV.We formulate an optimization problem to minimize the energy consumption of the UAV,subject to the mobility constraint of the UAV and that the achievable secrecy rate at the target is over a given threshold.We present an online planning method following the framework of model predictive control(MPC) to jointly optimize the motion of the UAV and the configurations of the RISs.The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated via computer simulations.

Towards Fully Secure 5G Ultra-Low Latency Communications: A Cost-Security Functions Analysis

Future components to enhance the basic,native security of 5G networks are either complex mechanisms whose impact in the requiring 5G communications are not considered,or lightweight solutions adapted to ultrareliable low-latency communications(URLLC)but whose security properties remain under discussion.Although different 5G network slices may have different requirements,in general,both visions seem to fall short at provisioning secure URLLC in the future.In this work we address this challenge,by introducing cost-security functions as a method to evaluate the performance and adequacy of most developed and employed non-native enhanced security mechanisms in 5G networks.We categorize those new security components into different groups according to their purpose and deployment scope.We propose to analyze them in the context of existing 5G architectures using two different approaches.First,using model checking techniques,we will evaluate the probability of an attacker to be successful against each security solution.Second,using analytical models,we will analyze the impact of these security mechanisms in terms of delay,throughput consumption,and reliability.Finally,we will combine both approaches using stochastic cost-security functions and the PRISM model checker to create a global picture.Our results are first evidence of how a 5G network that covers and strengthened all security areas through enhanced,dedicated non-native mechanisms could only guarantee secure URLLC with a probability of∼55%.

Multivariate Aggregated NOMA for Resource Aware Wireless Network Communication Security

NonorthogonalMultiple Access(NOMA)is incorporated into the wireless network systems to achieve better connectivity,spectral and energy effectiveness,higher data transfer rate,and also obtain the high quality of services(QoS).In order to improve throughput and minimum latency,aMultivariate Renkonen Regressive Weighted Preference Bootstrap Aggregation based Nonorthogonal Multiple Access(MRRWPBA-NOMA)technique is introduced for network communication.In the downlink transmission,each mobile device’s resources and their characteristics like energy,bandwidth,and trust are measured.Followed by,the Weighted Preference Bootstrap Aggregation is applied to recognize the resource-efficient mobile devices for aware data transmission by constructing the different weak hypotheses i.e.,Multivariate Renkonen Regression functions.Based on the classification,resource and trust-aware devices are selected for transmission.Simulation of the proposed MRRWPBA-NOMA technique and existing methods are carried out with different metrics such as data delivery ratio,throughput,latency,packet loss rate,and energy efficiency,signaling overhead.The simulation results assessment indicates that the proposed MRRWPBA-NOMA outperforms well than the conventional methods.

Recent Developments in Authentication Schemes Used in Machine-Type Communication Devices in Machine-to-Machine Communication: Issues and Challenges

Machine-to-machine (M2M) communication plays a fundamental role in autonomous IoT (Internet of Things)-based infrastructure, a vital part of the fourth industrial revolution. Machine-type communication devices(MTCDs) regularly share extensive data without human intervention while making all types of decisions. Thesedecisions may involve controlling sensitive ventilation systems maintaining uniform temperature, live heartbeatmonitoring, and several different alert systems. Many of these devices simultaneously share data to form anautomated system. The data shared between machine-type communication devices (MTCDs) is prone to risk dueto limited computational power, internal memory, and energy capacity. Therefore, securing the data and devicesbecomes challenging due to factors such as dynamic operational environments, remoteness, harsh conditions,and areas where human physical access is difficult. One of the crucial parts of securing MTCDs and data isauthentication, where each devicemust be verified before data transmission. SeveralM2Mauthentication schemeshave been proposed in the literature, however, the literature lacks a comprehensive overview of current M2Mauthentication techniques and the challenges associated with them. To utilize a suitable authentication schemefor specific scenarios, it is important to understand the challenges associated with it. Therefore, this article fillsthis gap by reviewing the state-of-the-art research on authentication schemes in MTCDs specifically concerningapplication categories, security provisions, and performance efficiency.

RIS Assisted Dual-Function Radar and Secure Communications Based on Frequency-Shifted Chirp Spread Spectrum Index Modulation

Reconfigurable intelligent surface(RIS)assisted dual-function radar communications(DFRC)system is a promising integrated sensing and communication(ISAC)technology for future 6G.In this paper,we propose a scheme of RIS-assisted DFRC system based on frequency shifted chirp spread spectrum index modulation(RDFI)for secure communications.The proposed RDFI achieves the sensing and transmission of target location information in its radar and communication modes,respectively.In both modes,the frequency-shifted chirp spread spectrum index modulation(FSCSS-IM)signal is used as the baseband signal for radar and communications,so that the signal sent by the radar also carries information.This scheme implements the RIS-assisted beamforming in the communication mode through the azimuth information of the target acquired in the radar mode,so that the signal received from the eavesdropper is distorted in amplitude and phase.In addition,this paper analyzes the radar measurement accuracy and communication security of the FSCSS-IM signal using ambiguity function and secrecy rate(SR)analysis,respectively.Simulation results show that RDFI achieves both excellent bit error rate(BER)performance and physical layer security of communications.

Influence of Quantum Information Technology on International Security

Humanity is currently undergoing the fourth industrial revolution,characterized by advancements in artificial intelligence,clean energy,quantum information technology,virtual reality,and biotechnology.This technological revolution is poised to have a profound impact on the world.Quantum information technology encompasses both quantum computing and the transmission of quantum information.This article aims to integrate quantum information technology with international security concerns,exploring its implications for international security and envisioning its groundbreaking significance.

Effect of Marine Planktonic Algal Particles on the Communication Performance of Underwater Quantum Link

As one of the main application directions of quantum technology,underwater quantum communication is of great research significance.In order to study the influence of marine planktonic algal particles on the communication performance of underwater quantum links,based on the extinction characteristics of marine planktonic algal particles,the influence of changes in the chlorophyll concentration and particle number density of planktonic algal particles on the attenuation of underwater links is explored respectively,the influence of marine planktonic algal particles on the fidelity of underwater quantum links,the generation rate of the security key,and the utilization rate of the channel is analyzed,and simulation experiments are carried out.The results show that with the increase in chlorophyll concentration and particle density of aquatic planktonic algal particles,quantum communication channel link attenuation shows a gradually increasing trend.In addition,the security key generation rate,channel fidelity and utilization rate are gradually decreasing.Therefore,the performance of underwater quantum communication channel will be interfered by marine planktonic algal particles,and it is necessary to adjust the relevant parameter values in the quantum communication system according to different marine planktonic algal particle number density and chlorophyll concentration to improve the performance of quantum communication.

SCIM: Incorporating secure communication and interference management in one operation

Due to the broadcast nature of wireless communications,users’data transmitted wirelessly is susceptible to security/privacy threats.Meanwhile,as a result of the limitation of spectrum resources,massive wireless connections will incur serious interference,which may damage the efficiency of data transmission.Therefore,improving both efficiency and secrecy of data transmission is of research significance.In this paper,we propose a wireless transmission scheme by taking both Secure Communication(SC)and Interference Management(IM)into account,namely SCIM.With this scheme,an SCIM signal is generated by the legitimate transmitter(Tx)and sent along with the desired signal,so that the SCIM signal can interact with and suppress the environmental interference at the legitimate receiver(Rx).Meanwhile,the SCIM signal may interfere with the eavesdropper in the coverage of legitimate transmission so as to deteriorate the eavesdropping performance.Therefore,the secrecy of desired transmission is improved.In this way,both the transmission efficiency and privacy are enhanced.Then,by taking various transmission preferences into account,we develop different implementations of SCIM,including Interference Suppression First SCIM(ISF-SCIM),Data Transmission First SCIM(DTF-SCIM),Anti-Eavesdropping First SCIM(AEF-SCIM),and Secrecy Rate Maximization SCIM(SRM-SCIM).Our in-depth simulation results have shown the proposed methods to effectively improve the efficiency and secrecy of the legitimate transmission.

Secure vehicular data communication in Named Data Networking

Vehicular data misuse may lead to traffic accidents and even loss of life,so it is crucial to achieve secure vehicular data communications.This paper focuses on secure vehicular data communications in the Named Data Networking(NDN).In NDN,names,provider IDs and data are transmitted in plaintext,which exposes vehicular data to security threats and leads to considerable data communication costs and failure rates.This paper proposes a Secure vehicular Data Communication(SDC)approach in NDN to supress data communication costs and failure rates.SCD constructs a vehicular backbone to reduce the number of authenticated nodes involved in reverse paths.Only the ciphtertext of the name and data is included in the signed Interest and Data and transmitted along the backbone,so the secure data communications are achieved.SCD is evaluated,and the data results demonstrate that SCD achieves the above objectives.

Joint optimization for secure ambient backscatter communication in NOMA-enabled IoT networks

Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access(NOMA)has emerged as a novel air interface technology for massive connectivity in Sixth-Generation(6G)era.The recent integration of NOMA in Backscatter Communication(BC)has triggered significant research interest due to its applications in low-powered Internet of Things(IoT)networks.However,the link security aspect of these networks has not been well investigated.This article provides a new optimization framework for improving the physical layer security of the NOMA ambient BC system.Our system model takes into account the simultaneous operation of NOMA IoT users and the Backscatter Node(BN)in the presence of multiple EavesDroppers(EDs).The EDs in the surrounding area can overhear the communication of Base Station(BS)and BN due to the wireless broadcast transmission.Thus,the chief aim is to enhance link security by optimizing the BN reflection coefficient and BS transmit power.To gauge the performance of the proposed scheme,we also present the suboptimal NOMA and conventional orthogonal multiple access as benchmark schemes.Monte Carlo simulation results demonstrate the superiority of the NOMA BC scheme over the pure NOMA scheme without the BC and conventional orthogonal multiple access schemes in terms of system secrecy rate.

Physical Layer Security for UAV Communications:A Comprehensive Survey

Due to its high mobility and flexible deployment,unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV)is drawing unprecedented interest in both military and civil applications to enable agile and ubiquitous connectivity.Mainly operating in an open environment,UAV communications benefit from dominant line-of-sight links;however,this on the other hand renders the communications more vulnerable to malicious attacks.Recently,physical layer security(PLS)has been introduced to UAV systems as an important complement to the conventional cryptography-based approaches.In this paper,a comprehensive survey on the current achievements of UAV-PLS is conducted.We first introduce the basic concepts including typical static/-mobile UAV deployment scenarios,the unique air-toground channel and aerial nodes distribution models,as well as various roles that a UAV may act when PLS is concerned.Then,we start by reviewing the secrecy performance analysis and enhancing techniques for statically deployed UAV systems,and extend the discussion to the more general scenario where the UAVs’mobility is further exploited.For both cases,respectively,we summarize the commonly adopted methodologies,then describe important works in the litera ture in detail.Finally,potential research directions and challenges are discussed to provide an outlook for future works in the area of UAV-PLS.

Security Issues and Solutions in Wireless Communications at Physical Layer

The properties of broadcast nature, high densities of deployment and severe resource limitations of sensor and mobile networks make wireless networks more vulnerable to various attacks, including modification of messages, eavesdropping, network intrusion and malicious forwarding. Conventional cryptography-based security may consume significant overhead because of low-power devices, so current research shifts to the wireless physical layer for security enhancement. This paper is mainly focused on security issues and solutions for wireless communications at the physical layer. It first describes the RSSI-based and channel based wireless authentication methods respectively, and presents an overview of various secrecy capacity analyses of fading channel, MIMO channel and cooperative transmission, and then examines different misbehavior detection methods. Finally it draws conclusions and introduces the direction of our future work.

The Security Analysis of Two-Step Quantum Direct Communication Protocol in Collective-Rotation Noise Channel

To analyze the security of two-step quantum direct communication protocol （QDCP） by using Einstein-Podolsky Rosen pair proposed by Deng et al. [Phys. Rev. A 68 （2003）042317] in collective-rotation noise channel, an excellent model of noise analysis is proposed. In the security analysis, the method of the entropy theory is introduced, and is compared with QDCP, an error rate point Qo（M ： （Q0, 1.0）） is given. In different noise levels, if Eve wants to obtain the same amount of information, the error rate Q is distinguishable. The larger the noise level ~ is, the larger the error rate Q is. When the noise level ~ is lower than 11%, the high error rate is 0.153 without eavesdropping. Lastly, the security of the proposed protocol is discussed. It turns out that the quantum channel will be safe when Q 〈 0.153. Similarly, if error rate Q〉 0.153 = Q0, eavesdropping information I 〉 1, which means that there exist eavesdroppers in the quantum channel, and the quantum channel will not be safe anymore.

Remote Access Communications Security: Analysis of User Authentication Roles in Organizations

Remote access is a means of accessing resources outside one’s immediate physical location. This has made employee mobility more effective and productive for most organizations. Remote access can be achieved via various channels of remote communication, the most common being Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). The demand for remote access is on the rise, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, and will continue to increase as most organizations are re-structuring to make telecommuting a permanent part of their mode of operation. Employee mobility, while presenting organizations with some advantages, comes with the associated risk of exposing corporate cyber assets to attackers. The remote user and the remote connectivity technology present some vulnerabilities which can be exploited by any threat agent to violate the confidentiality, integrity and availability (CIA) dimensions of these cyber assets. So, how are users and remote devices authenticated? To what extent is the established connection secured? With employee mobility on the rise, it is necessary to analyze the user authentication role since the mobile employee is not under the monitoring radar of the organization, and the environment from which the mobile employee connects may be vulnerable. In this study, an experiment was setup to ascertain the user authentication roles. The experiment showed the process of 2FA in user authentication and it proved to be an effective means of improving user authentication during remote access. This was depicted via the use of what the user has (mobile phone/soft-token) as a second factor in addition to what the user knows, i.e. password. This authentication method overcomes the security weaknesses inherent in single-factor user authentication via the use of password only. However, the results also showed that though 2FA user authentication ensures security, the remote devices could exhibit further vulnerabilities and pose serious risks to the organization. Thus, a varied implementation was recommended to further enhance the security of remote access communication with regards to the remote user authentication.

Improving the security of secure deterministic communication scheme based on quantum remote state preparation

The security of the quantum secure deterministic communication scheme [Chin. Phys.16 （2007） 2549] is reexamined. A security loophole is pointed out. Taking advantage of this loophole, an eavesdropper can steal all the secret messages without being detected by an intercept-and-resend attack strategy. Furthermore, a possible improvement on this protocol is presented. It makes the modified protocol secure against this kind of attack.

Guest Editorial Special Issue on Network and Communication Security

Because of the advanced developments in information technology and networking, a user can easily communicate with others via the Internet. In daily life, users can buy a lot of products through the e-commerce market. Thus, how to protect users＇ private data from being compromised on the Internet has become a very important research issue in recent years.

Announcing a Special Issue on Network and Communication Security

Journal of Electronic Science and Technology （JEST） invites manuscript submissions in the area of Network and Communication Security （NCS）. This special issue of JEST will focus on recent theoretical and application achievements in NCS. It is intended to highlight and summarize the major developments that have occurred over the past few years. Topic scopes to be covered include：

Optimization of Security Communication Wired Network by Means of Genetic Algorithms

The realization of security wired network is very critical when the network itself must be installed in an environment full of restrictions and constrains such as historical palaces, characterized by unique architectural features. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate an advanced installation design technique of security wired network based on genetic algorithm optimisation that is capable of ensuring high performances of the network itself and significant reduction of the costs. The same technique can be extended to safety system such as fire signalling.