Secure, Robust, and Energy-Efficient Authenticated Data Sharing in UAV-Assisted 6G Networks

TL;DR

This paper proposes secure, energy-efficient protocols for data sharing in UAV-assisted 6G networks, enhancing security, reducing communication costs, and ensuring reliable content exchange amid the high demands of future wireless systems.

Contribution

It introduces two novel protocols, SeGDS and SeDDS, for collaborative data downloading and secure device-to-device sharing in UAV-assisted 6G networks, with lightweight certificateless cryptography.

Findings

SeDDS reduces computation by 3x compared to existing models.

SeGDS cuts communication costs by 4x while maintaining security.

Protocols effectively detect DoS and free riding attacks.

Abstract

This paper confronts the pressing challenges of sixth-generation (6G) wireless communication networks by harnessing the unique capabilities of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). With the ambitious promises of 6G, including ultra-reliable 1 Tbps data delivery and ultra-low latency, the demand for innovative solutions becomes imperative. Traditional terrestrial base stations, though effective, exhibit limitations in scenarios requiring ubiquitous connectivity, prompting the integration of UAVs. In response to these challenges, we introduce a comprehensive solution. This involves UAVs collaboratively downloading desired content from service providers, and subsequently establishing secure connections with users for efficient content exchange. Accordingly, we introduce two new protocols: a collaborative group data downloading scheme among UAVs called SeGDS, and SeDDS for secure direct data sharing through out-of-band autonomous Device-to-Device (D2D) communication. Leveraging certificateless signcryption and certificateless multi-receiver encryption, these protocols offer lightweight, certificate-free solutions with features such as user revocation, non-repudiation, and mutual authentication. Prioritizing high availability, the proposed protocols effectively detect Denial of Service (DoS) and free riding attacks. A thorough evaluation underscores the superiority of the proposed protocols in both security and efficiency over existing models; SeDDS reduces overall computation by 3x, imposing a lighter communication load on UAVs, while SeGDS meets swarm UAV security requirements, reducing communication costs by 4x with low computation cost.