The Chief Security Officer Problem

TL;DR

This paper introduces the chief security officer (CSO) problem, exploring secrecy capacity in wireless channels with multiple agents and eavesdroppers, and investigates strategies for secure communication and cooperation.

Contribution

It formally defines the CSO problem, analyzes secrecy capacity under various scenarios, and proposes strategies for power allocation and agent cooperation to enhance security.

Findings

Secrecy capacity depends on power allocation strategies.

Cooperation among agents can increase overall secrecy capacity.

Optimal strategies vary based on agent cooperation scenarios.

Abstract

This paper presents the chief security officer (CSO) problem, defines its scope, and investigates several important research questions related within the scope. The CSO problem is defined based on the concept of secrecy capacity of wireless communication channels. It is also related to the chief Estimation/Executive Officer (CEO) problem that has been well studied in information theory. The CSO problem consists of a CSO, several agents capable of having two-way communication with the CSO, and a group of eavesdroppers. There are two scenarios in the CSO problem; one in which agents are not allowed to cooperate with one another and the other in which agents are allowed to cooperate with one another. While there are several research questions relevant to the CSO problem, this paper focusses on the following and provides answers: (1) How much information can be exchanged back and forth between the CSO and the agents without leaking any information to the eavesdroppers? (2) What is the power allocation strategy that the CSO needs to follow so as to maximize the secrecy capacity? (3) How can agents cooperate with one another in order to increase the overall secrecy capacity?.