Physical Layer Information Assurance for Wireless Networks

It is temping to leverage the tremendous power and rapid evolution of commercial wireless communications, although the vulnerability of this technology to intrusion, spoofing, and jamming remains a frustrating obstacle to their use in sensitive environments. Argon Engineering proposes to investigate augmentations and modifications applicable to these COTS products to provide improved information assurance, allowing these much-needed capabilities to reach the Military end-user while retaining low cost. Argon will draw upon our extensive background in SIGINT to develop RF fingerprinting techniques allowing the unique identification of each node in the wireless network. Active means of imprinting a distinctive RF and physical layer signature on client and access point hardware will further enhance user authentication. Previous research and knowledge on the subject of electronic warfare will be used to study physical layer changes aimed at addressing the threat of denial of service through jamming. Argon has embraced the software defined radio concept and will use this as the basis for eventual Phase II prototyping efforts. The reconfigurable approach will allow us to explore changes to the physical layer protocol through an all-software implementation. Such relatively low cost implementations ultimately allow for the broad deployment of integrated wireless network security, authentication, and anti-jam capabilities throughout the military as well as commercial enterprises.