High-profile data breaches in large organisations frequently grab headlines, underscoring vulnerabilities in our digital era. However, it seems that even private digital conversations between friends aren’t immune to security threats.
Device-to-Device (D2D) communication allows interactions between mobile devices without routing through a cellular base station, making it highly efficient for sharing data over short distances. Since D2D communication often happens over open airwaves, it can be easier for unauthorised people or devices nearby to intercept or ‘eavesdrop’ on these communications.
This is especially concerning for sensitive information, as there's a risk that someone might listen in without the users knowing.
“The differences in infrastructure and operational characteristics between traditional network communications and D2D communications contribute to the suitability of certain secure and covert communication approaches,” noted Sumei Sun, Acting Executive Director for A*STAR’s Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R). Sun emphasised the need for tailored security strategies, given the distinctive infrastructure and operational traits of D2D networks.
Addressing this challenge, Sun’s team in collaboration with experts from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; University of Manitoba, Canada; and Ericsson Canada Inc. to simulate a D2D communications network environment. The researchers then created a scenario like a game of strategy, where the devices have to outsmart multiple eavesdroppers attempting to intercept the transmissions.
For their analytical framework, the team used the established two-stage Stackelberg game model, emulating the proactive stance that devices must assume to protect against potential attacks.
“The model captures the fact that information can only be intercepted by the attackers after it has been transmitted,” explained Sun.
Through their analysis, the team found that that to keep conversations private, the strength of the ‘friendly’ jamming signals (a masking technique used for secure communication) must be carefully adjusted—too weak, and they won't hide the messages; too strong, and they could block messages between devices.
The team also noted that jamming signals offer the additional security advantage of concealing the location of the transmitting devices. Overall, their new jamming-assisted covert communication method was found to outperform theoretical stealth models that simply provide the best guess on how to stay hidden.
Sun and colleagues aspire to refine their security protocols further for D2D network integration, bolstering the confidentiality and resilience of these increasingly pivotal communication systems.
The A*STAR-affiliated researchers contributing to this research are from the Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R)
