Chaos-based physical layer security model for IEEE 802.15.7 visible light communications

This paper introduces a chaos-based security model applied at the physical layer of visible light communication (VLC) systems. The proposed model employs a Lorenz oscillator, a variation of the inverse system approach, to generate a chaotic wave to be added to the output signal before sending over a VLC channel. It consists in first encrypting only the header and second to include random padding bits. This helps to protect the IEEE 802.15.7 VLC frame from eavesdropping because hackers are unable to recognize the frame if they have no information regarding the implemented chaotic oscillator, i.e. Lorenz oscillator, the parametric set and its coupling methodology. On the other hand, at the receiver side, the IEEE 802.15.7 frames are easily recovered by eliminating the chaotic wave by the authorized receiver based on chaotic synchronization principles. Simulation results show that the header of the IEEE 802.15.7 frame embedded into chaotic signal transmitted over a VLC channel cannot be captured by unauthorized receivers while still enabling authorized ones to perfectly recover the IEEE 802.15.7 frame.