Optical Systems Identification through Rayleigh Backscattering.

Area of Science:

• Optical Physics
• Cybersecurity
• Network Security

Background:

• Physical layer security (PLS) is crucial for protecting networks and devices from physical and digital attacks.
• Existing authentication methods can be vulnerable to sophisticated tampering and cyber threats.
• Optical Physical Unclonable Functions (OPUFs) offer a robust solution for device authentication and anti-counterfeiting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel technique for generating and reading digital signatures of fiber-optic networks and devices.
• To enhance physical layer security by creating unique, unclonable identifiers.
• To leverage inherent fiber-optic properties for robust security applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing Rayleigh Backscattering Signal (RBS) as an inherent Optical Physical Unclonable Function (OPUF).
• Employing Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR) for signature generation and acquisition.
• Simulating signature reproducibility by adding Gaussian white noise to the signal.

Main Results:

• Generated unique and robust digital signatures for fiber-optic components.
• Demonstrated the unpredictability and unclonability of the signatures against malicious attacks.
• Confirmed the effectiveness of RBS-based OPUF for enhancing network and device security.

Conclusions:

• The proposed RBS-based OPUF technique significantly enhances physical layer security for fiber-optic systems.
• This method provides a powerful tool for authentication, identification, and monitoring, reducing vulnerability to attacks.
• The inherent and easily obtainable nature of RBS makes it a practical solution for secure optical networks.