Reconfigurable antenna based solutions for device authentication and intrusion detection in wireless networks

Overview

This technology provides channel-based authentication schemes for intrusion detection operating at the physical layer using multi-mode reconfigurable antennas. These schemes leverage wireless channel information and the capabilities of reconfigurable antennas to enhance performance. The first method relies on a channel-based fingerprint for transmitter differentiation, while the second method employs a generalized likelihood ratio (GLR) test on channel realizations from different antenna modes. Drexel researchers can provide guidelines and knowhow for optimizing decision metrics to improve the performance of physical layer-based authentication schemes.

Market Applications

Wireless Network Security: The described authentication schemes can be applied to protect wireless networks, particularly in open and public networks where higher-level security mechanisms may not be in place
Reconfigurable Antenna Technology: Reconfigurable antennas, when designed with these Drexel methods, can enhance the security of wireless communication systems deployed in various industries

Key Advantages

Improved performance in detecting intrusions compared to single-element antennas
Reconfigurable antennas with correlated modes can be used to generate distinct channel realizations, enhancing the effectiveness of the authentication schemes
Precise guidelines on selecting reconfigurable antennas and the number of modes for optimal performance in various environments

Problems Solved

Security challenges associated with wireless networks, such as spoofing attacks and man-in-the-middle attacks
Improved Intrusion Detection and wireless network protection against various threats by leveraging physical layer information and reconfigurable antennas