An assortment of security threats exist due to the standardization of the communication channel between two trusted parties that can be exploited by an intruder. Data security is typically implemented through software based encryption on the payload. However, vulnerabilities in WiFi protected access protocols(WPA/WPA2) indicate the need for strengthened security measures. Addressing this issue, Researchers at Drexel have now developed a new security method "Phy-Leave”, which utilizes a physical layer key generated from the communication channel to provide security even when the software encryption key is compromised.

The new technique introduces a key based interleaver and de-interleaver at the transmitter and receiver respectively that allows to securely transmit and receive across a channel while eavesdropping intruders would be unable to decode received data. The temporal key-policy based system provides additional security even when the software encryption key is compromised, providing a BER(Bit Error Rate) of approximately 50% when an incorrect key is applied at the receiver. FPGA implementation of this technique did not impact the cycle time of the design, allowing for the same level of performance as a standard communication channel. The Phy-Leave system uniquely utilizes the OFDM physical layer to increase security while maintaining a low overhead, demonstrating the effect of designing the physical layer with security as a goal. In essence minimal resources are required to implement Phy-Leave and the revolving policies. Therefore Phy-Leave can be used to secure smaller communication devices by either complementing software encryption or as the primary security technique.