Abstract:In this paper we propose a method for defending against an eavesdropper that uses a Deep Neural Network (DNN) for learning the modulation of wireless communication signals. Our method is based on manipulating the emitted waveform with the aid of a continuous time frequency-modulated (FM) obfuscating signal that is mixed with the modulated data. The resulting waveform allows a legitimate receiver (LRx) to demodulate the data but it increases the test error of a pre-trained or adversarially-trained DNN classifier at the eavesdropper. The scheme works for analog modulation and digital single carrier and multi carrier orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) waveforms, while it can implemented in frame-based wireless protocols. The results indicate that careful selection of the parameters of the obfuscating waveform can drop classification performance at the eavesdropper to less than 10% in AWGN and fading channels with no performance loss at the LRx.
Abstract:Joint RADAR communication (JRC) systems that use orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) can be compromised by an adversary that re-produces the received OFDM signal creating thus false RADAR targets. This paper presents a set of algorithms that can be deployed at the JRC system and can detect the presence of false targets. The presence of a false target is detected depending on whether there is residual carrier frequency offset (CFO) beyond Doppler in the received signal, with a Generalized Likelihood Ratio Test (GLRT). To evaluate the performance of our approach we measure the detection probability versus the false alarm rate through simulation for different system configurations of an IEEE 802.11-based JRC system.
Abstract:Passive emitter tracking (PET) algorithms can estimate both the range and Doppler of a wireless emitter when it uses orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). In this paper we are interested to prevent this from happening by an unauthorized receiver (URx). To accomplish that we introduce in the transmitted signal a \textit{spoofing signal} that varies across subcarriers and successive OFDM symbols. With this technique the emitter is not only able to spoof its actual range and Doppler (allowing covert communication in terms of these two parameters), but is also capable of producing additional false emitter signatures to further confuse the URx. To evaluate the performance of our approach we calculate the range-Doppler response at the URx for different system configurations of an 802.11-based system.
Abstract:When wireless communication signals impinge on a moving human they are affected by micro-Doppler. A passive receiver of the resulting signals can calculate the spectrogram that produces different signatures depending on the human activity. This constitutes a significant privacy breach when the human is unaware of it. This paper presents a methodology for preventing this when we want to do so by injecting into the transmitted signal frequency variations that obfuscate the micro-Doppler signature. We assume a system that uses orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) and a passive receiver that estimates the spectrogram based on the instantaneous channel state information (CSI). We analyze the impact of our approach on the received signal and we propose two strategies that do not affect the demodulation of the digital communication signal at the intended receiver. To evaluate the performance of our approach we use an IEEE 802.11-based OFDM system and realistic human signal reflection models.
Abstract:In this paper we present a method that prevents an unauthorized receiver (URx) from correctly estimating the Doppler shift present in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) wireless signal. To prevent this estimation we propose to insert an artificial frequency variation in the transmitted signal that mimics a transmitter (Tx) movement with a spoofed/fake speed. This spoofed Doppler shift does not affect data demodulation since it can be compensated at the legitimate receiver (LRx). We evaluate our method for its efficacy through simulations and we show that it offers a reliable way to protect one key element of the privacy of a wireless source, namely the speed of the transmitter.
Abstract:Bandwidth forecasting in Mobile Broadband (MBB) networks is a challenging task, particularly when coupled with a degree of mobility. In this work, we introduce HINDSIGHT++, an open-source R-based framework for bandwidth forecasting experimentation in MBB networks with Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) networks. We instrument HINDSIGHT++ following an Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) paradigm to first, alleviate the burden of data preprocessing, and second, enhance performance related aspects. We primarily focus on bandwidth forecasting for Fifth Generation (5G) networks. In particular, we leverage 5Gophers, the first open-source attempt to measure network performance on operational 5G networks in the US. We further explore the LSTM performance boundaries on Fourth Generation (4G) commercial settings using NYU-METS, an open-source dataset comprising of hundreds of bandwidth traces spanning different mobility scenarios. Our study aims to investigate the impact of hyperparameter optimization on achieving state-of-the-art performance and beyond. Results highlight its significance under 5G scenarios showing an average Mean Absolute Error (MAE) decrease of near 30% when compared to prior state-of-the-art values. Due to its universal design, we argue that HINDSIGHT++ can serve as a handy software tool for a multitude of applications in other scientific fields.