Wyner wiretap-like encoding scheme for cyber-physical systems

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel wiretap-like encoding scheme for secure message exchange in cyber-physical systems, leveraging feedback control properties and model asymmetries to enhance security without cryptography.

Contribution

It introduces a new encoding approach based on control theory concepts, exploiting model asymmetries to secure communication in CPSs without cryptography.

Findings

The scheme is effective when there is asymmetry in plant model knowledge.

A numerical example confirms the scheme's effectiveness.

Open challenges for future research are discussed.

Abstract

In this study, the authors consider the problem of exchanging secrete messages in cyber-physical systems (CPSs) without resorting to cryptographic solutions. In particular, they consider a CPS where the networked controller wants to send a secrete message to the plant. They show that such a problem can be solved by exploiting a Wyner wiretap-like encoding scheme taking advantage of the closed-loop operations typical of feedback control systems. Specifically, by resorting to the control concept of one-step reachable sets, they first show that a wiretap-like encoding scheme exists whenever there is an asymmetry in the plant model knowledge available to control system (the defender) and to the eavesdropper. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme is confirmed by means of a numerical example. Finally, they conclude the study by presenting open design challenges that can be addressed by the research community to improve, in different directions, the secrete message exchange problem in CPSs