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Course Detail

Course Name Wireless Security
Course Code 26SN640
Program M. Tech. in Cyber Security Systems & Networks
Credits 3
Campus Amritapuri

Syllabus

Syllabus

Wireless Standards Security

Vulnerabilities in existing wireless networks; Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Security; 3G Security; 4G Security; 5G Security; 6G Security; Wi-Fi Security.

Trends and Upcoming Wireless Networks

Upcoming wireless network technologies; trends and emerging security challenges in wireless networks.

Trust Assumptions and Adversary Models

Concepts of trust; trust models in ubiquitous computing; adversary modelling in wireless environments.

Physical Layer Security

Jamming attacks and variants; wiretapping threats; physical layer security defences including spread spectrum, directional antennas, and physical layer authentication.

MAC Layer Security

Operating principles of IEEE 802.11; detecting selfish behaviour in hotspots; selfish behaviour in pure ad hoc networks; MAC layer defence mechanisms.

Network Layer Security

Securing ad hoc network routing protocols; secure routing in sensor networks; network layer defence mechanisms against routing attacks.

Privacy in Wireless Networks

Privacy in RFID systems; location privacy in vehicular networks; privacy-preserving routing in ad hoc networks; privacy enforcement mechanisms.

Game Theory for Wireless Network Security

Normal Form Games; Strict Dominance and Weak Dominance; Iterated Dominance; Pure and Mixed Strategy Nash Equilibrium; Extensive Form Games; Backward Induction; Subgame Perfect Nash Equilibrium; Applications to wireless security — Forwarder’s Dilemma, Joint Packet Forwarding Game, Multiple Access Game, and Jamming Game.

Applications

RFID Security — attacks and defence mechanisms; Security for Wireless Sensor Networks; Security for Vehicular Networks.

Text Books / References

Levente Buttyn and Jean-Pierre Hubaux, Security and Cooperation in Wireless Networks, Cambridge University Press, 2008.William Stallings, Wireless Communications and Networks, Pearson Education, 2nd Edition.Jon Edney and William A. Arbaugh, Real 802.11 Security: Wi-Fi Protected Access and 802.11i, Addison-Wesley, 2004.Chris Mitchell (Ed.), Wireless Security, IEEE Computer Society Press, 2004.NIST SP 800-187 Guide to LTE Security, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2017.ETSI TS 133 501 Security Architecture and Procedures for 5G System (latest edition).

Introduction

This course provides a comprehensive study of security in wireless networks, covering both theoretical foundations and practical aspects. Students will gain a thorough understanding of vulnerabilities, attack models, and defence mechanisms across all layers of the wireless network stack — from the physical layer through to the application layer. The course addresses security across a wide range of wireless technologies including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cellular networks (3G through 6G), vehicular networks, sensor networks, and RFID systems.

In addition to protocol-level security, the course introduces game-theoretic frameworks for modelling non-cooperative behaviour in wireless networks, enabling students to analyse strategic interactions between rational adversaries and defenders. The course culminates in applied security studies of RFID, wireless sensor networks, and vehicular communication systems.

Objectives and Outcomes

Course Objectives

  • Introduce students to the technical and practical aspects of wireless network security across diverse standards and technologies.
  • Equip students with an understanding of cryptographic techniques applicable to wireless networks, including symmetric and asymmetric key approaches.
  • Enable students to analyse vulnerabilities in wireless networking standards and evaluate corresponding security enhancements.
  • Introduce the notion of trust in wireless networks and discuss mechanisms for enforcing trust in ubiquitous computing environments.
  • Study physical and MAC layer security issues, including attacks such as jamming and selfish behaviour, along with appropriate defences.
  • Analyse network layer security challenges in ad hoc and sensor networks, and evaluate secure routing mechanisms.
  • Introduce privacy concepts in wireless networks including RFID privacy, location privacy in vehicular networks, and privacy-preserving routing.
  • Apply non-cooperative game theory to model and analyse security interactions and incentive problems in wireless networks.

Course Outcomes

CO Description
CO1 Understand wireless security fundamentals and analyse the technical and practical aspects of wireless network security across diverse technologies and standards.
CO2 Apply cryptographic techniques to wireless networks, including symmetric and asymmetric key methods, to design and evaluate security solutions.
CO3 Assess security vulnerabilities in diverse wireless networking standards (BLE, Wi-Fi, 3G/4G/5G/6G) and evaluate corresponding security enhancements.
CO4 Understand the concept of trust in wireless and ubiquitous computing environments and analyse mechanisms for enforcing trust among network entities.
CO5 Identify security issues at the physical and MAC layers, analyse attacks including jamming and selfish behaviour, and evaluate corresponding defence strategies.
CO6 Analyse network layer security challenges in ad hoc and sensor networks, evaluate secure routing protocols, and propose appropriate defences.
CO7 Examine naming and addressing vulnerabilities in wireless networks and evaluate mechanisms for defending against identity and address-based attacks.
CO8 Analyse privacy mechanisms in wireless networks, including privacy-preserving routing in ad hoc networks, and evaluate approaches for enforcing location and data privacy.
CO9 Assess security threats against vehicular networks and evaluate existing defence mechanisms for securing vehicular communication.
CO10 Identify security issues in RFID systems, analyse attacks against RFID infrastructure, and evaluate mechanisms for RFID security and privacy.
CO11 Apply non-cooperative game theory — including Nash Equilibrium, dominant strategies, and extensive form games — to model and analyse security problems in wireless networks.

Prerequisites: Computer Networks, Basic Cryptography and Information Security, Probability and Statistics. Familiarity with wireless communication concepts is desirable

Evaluation Pattern

CO-PO Mapping

Correlation Levels: 3 = High, 2 = Moderate, 1 = Low

COs POs PO1 PO2 PO3
CO1 3 2 1
CO2 3 3 2
CO3 3 2 2
CO4 2 2 2
CO5 3 2 3
CO6 3 2 3
CO7 2 2 2
CO8 2 2 2
CO9 3 2 3
CO10 3 2 2
CO11 2 3 2

Evaluation Pattern

Assessment Component Internal External
Mid Term Examination 10 —
Assignments 15 —
Group Project 35 —
Final End-Semester Examination — 40
Total 60 40

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