Securing underwater wireless communication with frequency-hopping spread spectrum.

Rahman, Khaliq Ur; Fough, Nazila; McDermott, Christopher D.; Sundas, Rida; Baig, Nauman; Kannan, Somasandar

Abstract

The significance of subsea communication has increased substantially, with growing interest in replacing wired communication with wireless alternatives. However, subsea communication faces several challenges due to the harsh environment, including high noise, significant multipath propagation, signal attenuation, salinity, and temperature variations. Additionally, it is vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Ensuring secure and reliable communication for authorized users remains a significant challenge, requiring an integrated approach that balances efficiency, stability, and security considerations. Current efforts primarily focus on designing multimodal wireless communication systems, but integrating robust security measures into subsea wireless infrastructure is challenging due to its inherently open nature and susceptibility to external interference. Technical advancements are necessary to strengthen the security of subsea wireless communication while managing power loss effectively. To address these challenges, we propose a mechanism that implements a pre-determined frequency hopping schedule, enhancing security and improving reliability through periodic changes in transmission frequency. The hopping sequence is shared in advance among authorized parties. While the current system does not adapt to real-time threats, future work could explore dynamic adjustments in response to detected threats or unauthorized access attempts.

Citation

RAHMAN, K.U., FOUGH, N., MCDERMOTT, C.D., SUNDAS, R., BAIG, N. and KANNAN, S. 2024. Securing underwater wireless communication with frequency-hopping spread spectrum. In Proceedings of the 2024 IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) International workshop on Metrology for the sea; learning to measure sea health parameters (IEEE MetroSea 2024), 14-16 October 2024, Portorose, Slovenia. Piscataway: IEEE [online], pages 266-271. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1109/metrosea62823.2024.10765656

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (published)
• Conference Name: 2024 IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) International workshop on Metrology for the sea; learning to measure sea health parameters (IEEE MetroSea 2024)
• Start Date: Oct 14, 2024
• End Date: Oct 16, 2024
• Acceptance Date: Jul 13, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Oct 14, 2024
• Publication Date: Dec 31, 2024
• Deposit Date: Dec 6, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 20, 2024
• Publisher: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Pages: 266-271
• ISBN: 9798350379006
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/metrosea62823.2024.10765656
• Keywords: Data integrity; Confidentiality; Underwater acoustic communication; Frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS)
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2613769