Robust location distinction using temporal link signatures

TLDR

The ability of a receiver to determine when a transmitter has changed location is important for energy conservation in wireless sensor networks, for physical security of radio‑tagged objects, and for wireless network security in detection of replication attacks. The paper proposes using a measured temporal link signature to uniquely identify the link between a transmitter and a receiver. The proposed link‑distinction algorithm detects transmitter relocation or impersonation by monitoring changes in the temporal link signature, and can operate at a single receiver or collaboratively across multiple receivers. Recording over 9,000 link signatures, the method significantly increases detection rate and reduces false alarms compared to existing approaches.

Abstract

The ability of a receiver to determine when a transmitter has changed location is important for energy conservation in wireless sensor networks, for physical security of radio-tagged objects, and for wireless network security in detection of replication attacks. In this paper, we propose using a measured temporal link signature to uniquely identify the link between a transmitter and a receiver. When the transmitter changes location, or if an attacker at a different location assumes the identity of the transmitter, the proposed link distinction algorithm reliably detects the change in the physical channel. This detection can be performed at a single receiver or collaboratively by multiple receivers. We record over 9,000 link signatures at different locations and over time to demonstrate that our method significantly increases the detection rate and reduces the false alarm rate, in comparison to existing methods.