The WiMAX Technology And Personal Area Networks (PAN) Security

WiMAX Technology and its Encryption Standards

The WiMAX technology, commonly known as the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, is a communication technology for wireless connections that uses the IEEE 802.16 standards. The technology is basically used to address high speed connectivity ranging in a wide area of operations. The key principle methods to be used by the WiMAX technologies are the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) and the multiple input multiple outputs (MIMO) (Rengaraju, Lung and Srinivasan 2012). The main uses of these technologies is the less time and cost needed for maintenance and installation. In addition, the mobile connectivity is also acquiring the use of these technologies.

There are many encryption standards to be applied in the technological advances of the WiMAX. This answer includes three such methods. They are DES, TripleDES and RC2.

The first encryption standard is the Data Encryption Standard (DES), which is supposed to be symmetric key algorithm used for encrypting the data present. The technology was considered to be a very influential method for the use in cryptography. The DES technology uses a plain method of operation where a text bit of single length is transformed into another text bits with the same length. The transformed text is known as the cipher text where the size of the block is 64 bits. In addition, this method also includes a key for individual operations so that decryption can only be done by people having access to the key (Rengaraju, Lung and Srinivasan 2012).  The key has a length of 64 bits where 56 of them are used for encryption whereas the remaining 8 are used to check the parity and thereby discarded after use.

The next standard is the TripleDES or the 3DES which uses the same symmetric key algorithm but the main difference is tits application of the algorithm on the blocks for three times. The original size of the 56-bits algorithm made the security protocols weak with increasing technological advances. The main concept of TripleDES is used to increase the size of the key without causing any changes to the cipher related algorithms. The main process used in this method is the use of short key length to make up for the encryption requirements. The conceptual framework is that it takes two keys (k, j) and ciphers a block using the individual keys. As it is seen that this method has a vulnerability to middle attacks in the keys which made it necessary for the standards to implement 3 set of keys (Kamali, Bennett and Cox 2012). Thus, the name TripleDES is used to reference their application.

DES

The last method to be discussed is the RC2 algorithm where the use of a symmetric key algorithm is used for ciphering the block. The main difference among the RC2 and the other technologies is the presence of a key of size 40 bit. RC2 is a cipher method for a 64 bit block made by Ron Rivest. The key size used is supposed to be variable (Kamali, Bennett and Cox 2012). It has 18 rounds of network where 16 of them are of one type and the remaining two are of another type. The two types are the MIXING and MASHING.

Table: Comparison between the three standards

A personal area network (PAN) is a network which is used to transmit data among the various devices present in the vicinity. These devices can range from computers, phones or other devices with connectivity features. The PAN technology can be used to make connections among the various devices present in the vicinity or can be used to connect to the internet where one of the device acts as the router for the internet connections. The range of connectivity in the PAN technology is limited to a few centimeters or a few meters. The various technologies that adopt the wireless PAN concepts are the Bluetooth, Z-wave, ZigBee, Wireless USB, Body Area Network, IrDA and INSTEON.

This section discusses about the security implications of the two technologies namely the Bluetooth and ZigBee.

It is a wireless standard for the communication of data over a short range of connectivity. The main specifications of the Bluetooth technology are the use of ultra high frequency, short wavelength band. The range of the band is 2.4 to 2.48 GHZ (Versichele et al. 2012). During the first year of developing, the modulation technique that was commonly used was the Gaussian Frequency shift keying (GFSK). Since the advancements of technology, the new technology that was implemented was the use of differential quadrature phase shift keying and the 8DPSK.

The various methods used in Bluetooth have led to the presence of consistent vulnerabilities in the system as such it can be made to destroy the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the data. The main issues related to the security are the default configuration of the system, theft or loss, person-in-the-middle, service mapping and denial of service attacks.

Default configuration is the presence of configuration that is pre-applied to the device by the manufacturers of the devices. As the configuration required for the device is complex for some people, the default mode stays the same. The main intentions of the manufacturers in default mode is to provide the ease of connectivity without facing any problems. However, in case the Bluetooth mode is on in normal stages, the BD_ADDR and clock of the device will be disclosed to the other devices. These techniques are used to determine the frequency hopping techniques of the devices. This can lead to connection of any device and lead to information theft. As the security level of the Bluetooth technology is much less, the risks it poses are great which poses threats among the lives of the common people.

Triple DES

Theft or loss is possible in case a Bluetooth device falls into wrong hands. In case of previous pairing of the devices, the secure keys are stored in memory of the devices. In case one of the devices is stolen or lost, unethical users may target the other device to hack into the system to steal information (Versichele et al. 2012). The other wrongful uses are the eavesdropping, unauthorized access to the system and stealing of personal data.

The next issue is the person-in-the-middle attack. This type of attack is usually done by a third party. This is an unethical way of attacking where the attacker impersonates one of the two deices to get access to the other device. This is done when the attacker gets access to the keys for the other devices. It is also possible when the use of technologies can be used to get the unit keys of the two devices. This process is followed by impersonating the infected device to act like one of the devices to get access to the other device. This process is used to get unethical information from the infected devices.

Service mapping is another issue in using Bluetooth services. In cases when a device wants to pair with another device by using the Bluetooth technology, the device have to search and scan for the other device. This is done by checking the requirements and the services provided by the other device. The service discovery protocol (SDP) is the universal method used to recognize the services and the requirements of the devices (Versichele et al. 2012). In cases of business corporations or cyber cafes providing access by Bluetooth technology, the unethical attackers can look for such devices and connect to get insightful information from them. Although, the range is low for the attacker as such that they will have to stay close to the victim, reduced physical security can lead to various problems.

The last issue in security is the denial of service (DOS) attacks. Although, possible cases for such an attack are not reported, the Bluetooth service can also be used to lock the user from accessing their devices. The main results of such attacks are the loss of the device’s ability to work. As the bandwidth of the Bluetooth devices are 2.4 GHZ, it can be easily intercepted by the presence of other devices like the ovens or cordless phones. This can be used to jam the signals and get access to the device to get information. In addition, the attacker may try to drain out the battery of the device by sending constant service requests to connect.

RC2

ZigBee is a technology which is complied with the IEEE 802.15.4 standards to make a connection having small ranges in connectivity. The main uses of these technologies are in home automation. The connectivity can be facilitated by the use of wireless connections.

The first security issue is the absence of physical security. In case an attacker gets physical access to a device, it can be used to get access to the ZigBee network (Talaviya Ramteke and Shete 2013). As the encryption keys of specific hardware are integrated into the system, they will not be changed which presents the first vulnerability of the network.

The next challenge for the technology is the key attacks. In case of a ZigBee network, two types of methodologies are used to provide encryptions. These are the pre-shared keying and Over the air keying. As the 802.15.4 standards has minimal encryption requirements and no detection of intruders, the breach into the system is possible which causes various problems to the users.

1. Energy harvesting in wireless sensor networks:

As discussed in the provided journals, the wireless networks need to have an ability to efficiently utilize the high performance requirements of the internet of things systems. Due to the presence of various threats and vulnerabilities to the system, it is needed for the devices to stay in operating conditions for a long time. The main requirement for an energy harvesting mechanism is the presence of harvesting capabilities. In cases when a certain node of the system goes offline, the entire work pertaining to that area goes down (Energy harvesting in wireless sensor networks: A comprehensive review, 2017). This is the main reason for the implementation of a wireless network to meet the growing needs. However, the journal also tells about various methods using which energy harvesting can be applied. These include the ambient and the external sources. In addition, the journal also discusses about the presence of various problems in the systems that are to be considered before going on with a decision. The main challenges are the need to generalize the requirements for a harvester. The harvester is to get the sources and then convert them into energy. Similarly, they are to be installed in the device and the need for prototype implementation, protocol compliance is also to be considered (Energy harvesting in wireless sensor networks: A comprehensive review, 2017). The journal concludes by showing the various advantages that can be adopted by their implementation.

1. Energy Harvesting Wireless Communications: A Review of Recent Advances

Comparison between the Three Standards

The various contributions to the area of the wireless communications are discussed in the provided journal. The networks needed for the implementation of the concept along with the policies and the resource allocation is also discussed in the journal. In addition, the various theoretical calculations of the systems are also included in the discussion (Energy Harvesting Wireless Communications: A Review of Recent Advances, 2017). The various sources for harnessing the energy are the natural as well as man-made sources. The basic need for such enhancements in this area is the development of new technologies in medical, environmental and safety related applications. In section 2 of the journal, the summary for the theoretical recommendations are included in the journal. The section 3 is concerned with the throughput optimization while the section 4 is concerned with the online optimization of the resources (Energy Harvesting Wireless Communications: A Review of Recent Advances, 2017). Likewise, the other sections of the report discuss the various processes to consider for advancement in the wireless application sectors.

References:

Biagioni, E., Giordano, S., Luo, X., Camp, T., & Tian, T. (2016). Social and mobile solutions in ad hoc and sensor networking [Series Editorial]. IEEE Communications Magazine, 54(7), 100-101.

Kusano, M., Figueira, E., Bird, R., & Van Hoof, N. (2017). U.S. Patent No. D794,019. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

McCann, S., & Montemurro, M. (2017). U.S. Patent No. 9,572,030. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Ponniah, J., Hu, Y. C., & Kumar, P. R. (2017). A Clean Slate Approach to Secure Ad Hoc Wireless Networking-Open Unsynchronized Networks. IEEE Transactions on Control of Network Systems, 4(1), 37-48.

Energy harvesting in wireless sensor networks: A comprehensive review. (2017). [ebook] Faisal Karim Shaikh a,b,n , Sherali Zeadally c. Available at: https://1712033_1136814880_2016Energyharvestinginwireless.pdf [Accessed 22 Sep. 2017].

Energy Harvesting Wireless Communications: A Review of Recent Advances. (2017). [ebook] Available at: https://1712034_414472103_2015EnergyHarvestReview.pdf [Accessed 22 Sep. 2017].

Rengaraju, P., Lung, C.H. and Srinivasan, A., 2012, August. Communication requirements and analysis of distribution networks using WiMAX technology for smart grids. In Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing Conference (IWCMC), 2012 8th International (pp. 666-670). IEEE.

Sergey, G. and Abed, A.H., 2013, February. Slot allocation model and data burst scheduling in downlink WiMAX technology. In Experience of Designing and Application of CAD Systems in Microelectronics (CADSM), 2013 12th International Conference on the (pp. 97-100). IEEE.

Kamali, B., Bennett, R.A. and Cox, D.C., 2012. Understanding WiMAX: An IEEE-802.16 standard-based wireless technology. IEEE Potentials, 31(5), pp.23-27.

Olexandr, L. and Sergiy, G., 2013, April. Slot allocation model and data burst scheduling in downlink WiMAX technology. In Electronics and Nanotechnology (ELNANO), 2013 IEEE XXXIII International Scientific Conference (pp. 455-459). IEEE.

More, S. and Mishra, D.K., 2012, November. 4G revolution: WiMAX technology. In Internet (AH-ICI), 2012 Third Asian Himalayas International Conference on (pp. 1-4). IEEE.

Li, S.H., Cheng, K.A., Lu, W.H. and Lin, T.C., 2012. Developing an active emergency medical service system based on WiMAX technology. Journal of medical systems, 36(5), pp.3177-3193.

Carpenter, C., Fowler, M. and Adler, T., 2012. Generating route-specific origin-destination tables using Bluetooth technology. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, (2308), pp.96-102.

Versichele, M., Neutens, T., Delafontaine, M. and Van de Weghe, N., 2012. The use of Bluetooth for analysing spatiotemporal dynamics of human movement at mass events: A case study of the Ghent Festivities. Applied Geography, 32(2), pp.208-220.

Talaviya, G., Ramteke, R. and Shete, A.K., 2013. Wireless fingerprint based college attendance system using Zigbee technology. International Journal of Engineering and Advanced Technology (IJEAT) ISSN, 2249, p.8958.

Rohitha, P., Kumar, P.R., Adinarayana, N., Venkat, T. and Narayana, R., 2012. Wireless networking through ZigBee technology. International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science and Software Engineering, 2(7).

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