Physical Layer Security in a Private 5G Network for Industrial and Mobility Application

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the implementation of Physical Layer Key Generation in a real Private 5G network, showcasing its potential for secure industrial and mobility applications by establishing long-term symmetric keys.

Contribution

It is among the first to implement Physical Layer Key Generation in a real Private 5G network, highlighting its practical application in industrial security.

Findings

Successful establishment of a long-term symmetric key between aerial vehicle and infrastructure.

Demonstration of Physical Layer Key Generation feasibility in a real Private 5G environment.

Potential for enhanced security in industrial and mobility applications using PLKG.

Abstract

Cellular communication technologies such as 5G are deployed on a large scale around the world. Compared to other communication technologies such as WiFi, Bluetooth, or Ultra Wideband, the 5G communication standard describes support for a large variety of use cases, e.g., Internet of Things, vehicular, industrial, and campus-wide communications. An organization can operate a Private 5G network to provide connectivity to devices in their manufacturing environment. Physical Layer Key Generation (PLKG) is a method to generate a symmetric secret on two nodes despite the presence of a potential passive eavesdropper. To the best of our knowledge, this work is one of the first to implement PLKG in a real Private 5G network. Therefore, it highlights the possibility of integrating PLKG in the communication technology highly relevant for industrial applications. This paper exemplifies the establishment of a long-term symmetric key between an aerial vehicle and IT infrastructure both located in a manufacturing environment and communicating via the radio interface of the Private 5G network.