"Target Active and Passive Eavesdropping for Improving Communications Security"

A team of researchers from China and the UK has developed an Intelligent Reflecting Surface (IRS) method to bolster the security of communications systems. Their IRS-aided technique can be used to increase the security of communication in scenarios involving active attacks and passive eavesdropping on a two-phase communication system. The IRS, also known as a Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS), has become a promising technique that improves the function and capabilities of wireless networks. An IRS is a programmable structure containing many passive and low-cost reflecting elements. The team has demonstrated that the IRS can change a signal's reflection direction, which enables it to enhance the received signals from legitimate users while also suppressing the signals from an eavesdropper. According to the researchers, the IRS could lessen the interference, extend the coverage area, and improve physical layer security communication. The IRS can readily be placed on the ceilings and walls of existing buildings, reducing both the cost and complexity of installing it. One researcher emphasizes that the IRS provides a cost-effective and energy-efficient approach, so it holds great promise for enhancing security. An eavesdropper can pretend to be a legitimate user in an active attack and mislead the base station into sending signals toward it during the channel estimation procedure. A passive attack is more difficult to detect as the passive eavesdropper can hide itself. This new study is the first to examine the scenario of passive eavesdropping in IRS-aided secure communication. In the studied scenario involving a two-phase communication system, the base station avoided direct transmission to the attacked user in the first phase. In the second phase, other users cooperated in forwarding signals to the attacked user with the help of energy harvesting technology and the IRS. The researchers proposed this IRS-aided two-phase secrecy communication scheme for a scenario in which the eavesdropper has a similar channel direction as a legitimate user. They chose this scheme to obtain high-quality eavesdropping information. This article continues to discuss the IRS technique developed to improve the security of communication systems.  

EurekAlert! reports "Target Active and Passive Eavesdropping for Improving Communications Security"