UK-US Alliance on New Physical Layer-based Ultra Secure Wireless Infrastructure (A-PLUS)
Lead Research Organisation:
LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY
Abstract
A-PLUS is a strategic research collaboration between Loughborough University (UK), Princeton University, and Georgia Institute of Technology (US), aimed at addressing critical security challenges in emerging wireless communication systems.
As Beyond-5G and 6G networks increasingly rely on highly directional and complicated RF frontend systems such as Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) to enhance spectral efficiency, latency, and coverage, they also introduce new vulnerabilities at the physical layer. These open a gateway for potential signal injection, spoofing, or passive eavesdropping, which could compromise national telecom infrastructure.
A-PLUS seeks to proactively identify and mitigate these threats by combining LU’s strengths in RIS hardware design with PU and GT’s expertise in cyber-physical security. The project will develop a comprehensive threat model, simulate adversarial attacks, and validate findings through experimental measurements using a 5 GHz RIS already manufactured at LU. Key performance indicators such as signal-to-noise ratio, beam directionality, and power leakage will be analyzed to assess the vulnerability severity.
The project will conceptualize novel physical-layer security mechanisms, including artificial noise generation, RIS-specific fingerprinting, and angle-of-arrival-based user verification. These innovations aim to create scalable, resilient security protocols tailored for RIS-enabled networks.
Through bilateral secondments, joint multidisciplinary experiments, and high-impact publications, A-PLUS will foster a cohesive collaboration and lay the foundation for longer-term international research proposals. The outcomes will directly support national cyber strategies in both the UK and USA, ensuring secure deployment of next-generation telecom infrastructure for critical applications such as healthcare, autonomous transportation, and defence.
As Beyond-5G and 6G networks increasingly rely on highly directional and complicated RF frontend systems such as Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) to enhance spectral efficiency, latency, and coverage, they also introduce new vulnerabilities at the physical layer. These open a gateway for potential signal injection, spoofing, or passive eavesdropping, which could compromise national telecom infrastructure.
A-PLUS seeks to proactively identify and mitigate these threats by combining LU’s strengths in RIS hardware design with PU and GT’s expertise in cyber-physical security. The project will develop a comprehensive threat model, simulate adversarial attacks, and validate findings through experimental measurements using a 5 GHz RIS already manufactured at LU. Key performance indicators such as signal-to-noise ratio, beam directionality, and power leakage will be analyzed to assess the vulnerability severity.
The project will conceptualize novel physical-layer security mechanisms, including artificial noise generation, RIS-specific fingerprinting, and angle-of-arrival-based user verification. These innovations aim to create scalable, resilient security protocols tailored for RIS-enabled networks.
Through bilateral secondments, joint multidisciplinary experiments, and high-impact publications, A-PLUS will foster a cohesive collaboration and lay the foundation for longer-term international research proposals. The outcomes will directly support national cyber strategies in both the UK and USA, ensuring secure deployment of next-generation telecom infrastructure for critical applications such as healthcare, autonomous transportation, and defence.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Aakash Bansal (Principal Investigator) |