1 - An information-theoretic approach to physical-layer security

Summary

A simple look at today's information and communication infrastructure is sufficient for one to appreciate the elegance of the layered networking architecture. As networks flourish worldwide, the fundamental problems of transmission, routing, resource allocation, end-to-end reliability, and congestion control are assigned to different layers of protocols, each with its own specific tools and network abstractions. However, the conceptual beauty of the layered protocol stack is not easily found when we turn our attention to the issue of network security. In the early days of the Internet, possibly because network access was very limited and tightly controlled, network security was not yet viewed as a primary concern for computer users and system administrators. This perception changed with the increase in network connections. Technical solutions, such as personnel access controls, password protection, and end-to-end encryption, were developed soon after. The steady growth in connectivity, fostered by the advent of electronic-commerce applications and the ubiquity of wireless communications, remains unhindered and has resulted in an unprecedented awareness of the importance of network security in all its guises.

The standard practice of adding authentication and encryption to the existing protocols at the various communication layers has led to what could be rightly classified as a patchwork of security mechanisms. Given that data security is so critically important, it is reasonable to argue that security measures should be implemented at all layers where this can be done in a cost-effective manner.