Secured PRACH Resource Switching for Anti-Jamming UE Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems lack proactive anti-jamming capabilities, particularly for Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) resources, making them vulnerable to attacks by smart jammers, which disrupt critical communications in industries and public safety applications.
Innovation Solution
Implementing secured PRACH resources with unique identifiers for trusted User Equipments (UEs), allowing flexible switching between public and secured PRACH resources, and using encryption and infrequent signaling to minimize exposure to malicious entities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If public PRACH resources are used for all UEs, then ease of operation is improved, but security and reliability deteriorate due to vulnerability to jamming attacks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments PRACH resources into two distinct sets: public PRACH resources accessible by all UEs and secured PRACH resources accessible only by trusted UEs. This segmentation allows the system to maintain ease of operation for general users while providing a protected channel for critical communications that requires authentication, thereby resolving the contradiction between accessibility and security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by providing different levels of access control to different PRACH resources. Public PRACH resources maintain open access for general operations, while secured PRACH resources implement restricted access with authentication mechanisms. This localized differentiation of access quality allows the system to optimize both ease of operation and reliability for different communication scenarios.
2Reliability
If secured PRACH resources are signaled frequently to all UEs, then security is improved, but network signaling overhead and resource consumption worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-signalizing the configuration of secured PRACH resources to trusted UEs in advance, before they are needed. The full configuration including all parameters is provided upfront through secure signaling. When a trusted UE needs to access secured PRACH resources, it simply uses the pre-provided configuration without requiring additional signaling, thereby ensuring security while minimizing ongoing network overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the detailed secured PRACH resource configuration from frequent signaling and places it in initial setup signaling. Only essential activation indicators are signaled frequently when needed, while the comprehensive configuration parameters are taken out and provided once during initial authentication. This extraction reduces the quantity of substance (signaling overhead) while maintaining security.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If smart jammers adapt their strategy by observing network reactions, then jamming effectiveness is improved, but the system's reactive countermeasures worsen due to the cat-and-mouse game
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by implementing proactive authentication and authorization mechanisms before PRACH access. Trusted UEs are pre-authenticated and granted access rights to secured PRACH resources before any potential jamming attack occurs. This preliminary security measure prevents smart jammers from disrupting communications by making authentication decisions based on observed reactions, as the authentication has already been completed in advance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by establishing secured PRACH resources and authentication mechanisms before jamming attacks occur. The system proactively configures and activates secured PRACH resources for trusted UEs, so when a jamming attack is detected, the system can immediately switch to the pre-prepared secured channels without engaging in a reactive cat-and-mouse game with adaptive jammers.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a technique for configuring secured (or hidden) Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) resources for trusted User Equipments (UEs) in a wireless communication network. According to the technique, a set of secured PRACH resources each having an ID is signaled by a network node to a trusted UE (preferably by using an encrypted message). When it is detected that a set of public PRACH resources currently used by the trusted UE for PRACH preamble transmissions is under a malicious attack (e.g., a jamming attack), the network node selects, among the set of secured PRACH resources, one or more secured PRACH resources which may be used instead of the public PRACH resources for the PRACH preamble transmissions. The ID(s) of the selected secured PRACH resource(s) is(are) signaled by the network node to the UE. The PRACH resources thus configured are better protected from malicious attacks.