The physical layer security of wireless networks is becoming increasingly important because of the rapid development of wireless communications and the increasing security threats. In addition, because of the open nature of the wireless channel, authentication is a critical issue in wireless communications. Physical layer authentication (PLA) is based on distinctive features to provide information-theory security and low complexity. However, although many researchers are interested in the PLA and how it might be used to improve wireless security, there is surprisingly little literature on the subject, with no systematic overview of the current state-of-the-art PLA and the main foundations involved. Therefore, this paper aims to determine and systematically compare existing studies in the physical layer authentication. This study showed whether machine learning approaches in physical layer authentication models increased wireless network security performance and demonstrated the latest techniques used in PLA. Moreover, it identified issues and suggested directions for future research. This study is valuable for researchers and security model developers interested in using machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) approaches for PLA in wireless communication systems in future research and designs.

Advancements in wireless communication and automation have revolutionized mobility systems, notably through autonomous vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). UAV spatial coordinates, determined via Global Positioning System (GPS) signals, are susceptible to cyberattacks due to unencrypted and unauthenticated transmissions with GPS spoofing being a significant threat. To mitigate these vulnerabilities, intrusion detection systems (IDSs) for UAVs have been developed and enhanced using machine learning (ML) algorithms. However, Adversarial Machine Learning (AML) has introduced new risks by exploiting ML models. This study presents a UAV-IDS employing AML methodology to enhance the detection and classification of GPS spoofing attacks. The key contribution is the development of an AML detection model that significantly improves UAV system robustness and security. Our findings indicate that the model achieves a detection accuracy of 98%, demonstrating its effectiveness in managing large-scale datasets and complex tasks. This study emphasizes the importance of physical layer security for enhancing IDSs in UAVs by introducing a novel detection model centered on an adversarial training defense method and advanced deep learning techniques.

Wireless physical layer authentication has emerged as a promising approach to wireless security. The topic of wireless node classification and recognition has experienced significant advancements due to the rapid development of deep learning techniques. The potential of using deep learning to address wireless security issues should not be overlooked due to its considerable capabilities. Nevertheless, the utilization of this approach in the classification of wireless nodes is impeded by the lack of available datasets. In this study, we provide two models based on a data-driven approach. First, we used generative adversarial networks to design an automated model for data augmentation. Second, we applied a convolutional neural network to classify wireless nodes for a wireless physical layer authentication model. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed model, we assessed our results using an original dataset as a baseline and a generated synthetic dataset. The findings indicate an improvement of approximately 19% in classification accuracy rate.

Wireless communication plays a crucial role in the automation process in the industrial environment. However, the open nature of wireless communication renders industrial wireless sensor networks susceptible to malicious attacks that impersonate authorized nodes. The heterogeneity of the wireless transmission channel, coupled with hardware and software limitations, further complicates the issue of secure authentication. This form of communication urgently requires a lightweight authentication technique characterized by low complexity and high security, as inadequately secure communication could jeopardize the evolution of industrial devices. These requirements are met through the introduction of physical layer authentication. This article proposes novel deep learning (DL) models designed to enhance physical layer authentication by autonomously learning from the frequency domain without relying on expert features. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed models, showcasing a significant enhancement in authentication accuracy. Furthermore, the study explores the efficacy of various DL architecture settings and traditional machine learning approaches through a comprehensive comparative analysis.