Jamming Attack Resiliency and Performance Analysis of Cognitive Radio Communication Networks

Book excerpt: Cognitive radio technology emerges as a promising solution for overcoming shortage and inefficient use of spectrum resources. In cognitive radio networks, secondary users, which are users equipped with cognitive radios, can opportunistically access spectrum assigned to primary users, the spectrum license holders. Although it improves spectrum utilization efficiency, this opportunistic spectrum access incurs undesired delays that can degrade the quality of service (QoS) of delay-sensitive applications substantially. It is therefore important to understand, model, and characterize these delays, as well as their dependency on primary user behaviors. Moreover, the lack of access priority leads to significant performance degradation when the network is under jamming attacks. It turns out that addressing jamming attacks while maintaining a desired QoS is very challenging. In this thesis, we characterize the properties of the random process that describes the availability of the opportunistic resources, and analytically model and analyze cognitive network average delays. Furthermore, we propose and study new techniques that mitigate jamming attacks in mobile cognitive radio networks. More specifically, this thesis consists of the following three complimentary frameworks: Bechir Hamdaoui 1. Stochastic Resource Availability Modeling and Delay Analysis. In this framework, we define and characterize the properties of the random process that describes the availability of the opportunistic network resources. We apply the mean residual service time concept to derive an analytical solution for the cognitive network queueing delay. We model the service mechanism, and determine the manner in which it depends on spectrum availability. We show that the delay becomes unbounded if spectrum dynamics are not carefully considered in network design. 2. Mitigating Jamming through Pseudorandom Time Hopping. In this framework, we propose and evaluate jamming countermeasure approaches for mobile cognitive users. We propose two time-based techniques which, unlike other existing frequency-based techniques, do not assume accessibility to multiple channels and hence do not rely on spectrum handoff to countermeasure jamming. In these two techniques, we allocate data over time based on cryptographic and estimation methods. We derive analytical expressions of the jamming, switching and error probabilities. Our findings show that our proposed technique outperforms other existing frequency-based techniques. 3. Optimally Controlled Time-Hopping Anti-Jamming Technique. In this framework, we propose a jamming and environment aware resource allocation method for mobile cognitive users. We propose to mitigate jamming based on an optimal allocation of data over time. In addition, we optimally control network mobility to meet a desired QoS. Our findings show that our proposed technique achieves better QoS than those achieved by existing cryptographic methods while not compromising jamming resiliency.