6lo M. Choi, Ed.
Internet-Draft Y. Choi
Intended status: Informational ETRI
Expires: 30 August 2025 26 February 2025
Security considerations for IPv6 Packets over Short-Range Optical
Wireless Communications
draft-choi-6lo-owc-security-01
Abstract
IEEE 802.15.7, "Short-Range Optical Wireless Communications" defines
wireless communication using visible light. It defines how data is
transmitted, modulated, and organized in order to enable reliable and
efficient communication in various environments. The standard is
designed to work alongside other wireless communication systems and
supports both line-of-sight (LOS) and non-line-of-sight (NLOS)
communications. This document describes security considerations for
short-range optical wireless communications (OWC) using IPv6 over
Low-Power Wireless Personal Area Network (6LoWPAN) techniques.
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2. Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.1. Eavesdropping and Data Interception . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.2. Data Integrity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.3. Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.4. Authentication and Access Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.5. Energy Efficiency and Security Trade-off . . . . . . . . 4
2.6. Secure Routing in Multi-hop Networks . . . . . . . . . . 4
3. IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4. References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Authors' Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1. Introduction
The rapid growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) has led to a
significant increase in the number of wireless communication
technologies utilized for real-time data collection and monitoring in
various industrial domains, such as manufacturing, agriculture,
healthcare, transportation, and so on. This trend highlights the
importance of wireless communication in facilitating real-time data
exchange and analysis, ultimately contributing to enhanced
operational efficiency and decision-making processes across different
industrial sectors.
Optical Wireless Communications (OWC) stands as one of the potential
candidates for IoT wireless communication technologies, extensively
applied across various industrial domains. The IEEE802.15.7 standard
outlines the procedures for establishing bidirectional communications
between two OWC devices. Furthermore, IEEE 802.15.7 delineates a
comprehensive OWC standard, encompassing features like Visible Light
Communication (VLC), Short-Range Communication, Line-of-Sight (LOS)
and Non-Line-of-Sight (NLOS) Support, High and Low Data Rates, Energy
Efficiency, and Secure Communication.
This document describes security considerations for IPv6 over Optical
Wireless Communications.
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2. Security Considerations
Optical Wireless Communication (OWC) systems introduce unique
security concerns due to their reliance on visible or infrared light.
Below are key security considerations.
2.1. Eavesdropping and Data Interception
Since OWC relies on optical signals, communications can be
susceptible to interception when the line-of-sight (LOS) path is
unobstructed. Mitigation techniques include directional
communication, encryption of data, and limiting transmission power to
reduce signal leakage. Additionally, employing beam steering
technologies, narrow optical beam divergence, and robust end-to-end
encryption at the IPv6 adaptation layer are recommended to further
enhance confidentiality.
2.2. Data Integrity
Environmental factors such as ambient light interference, obstacles,
multipath reflections, and LED modulation inconsistencies can degrade
OWC data integrity. Strong error detection and correction mechanisms
at the PHY layer combined with IPv6-level integrity protection are
recommended. In addition, to ensure the integrity of header-
compressed IPv6 packets, the SCHC compression context should be
securely managed and protected from unauthorized modifications or
corruptions.
2.3. Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks
OWC can experience physical jamming attacks via high-intensity
optical noise or physical obstruction, potentially disrupting
communications. Mitigations include incorporating PHY-layer
interference detection mechanisms and adaptive modulation schemes, as
well as implementing network-layer redundancy through alternative
IPv6 routing paths via multi-hop OWC topologies.
2.4. Authentication and Access Control
Unauthorized OWC device access can lead to unauthorized data
transmissions or network compromise. Mutual authentication through
IPv6-based Datagram Transport Layer Security [RFC9147] and device
identity verification utilizing IEEE 802.15.7 link-layer addresses
combined with IPv6 interface identifiers are recommended.
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2.5. Energy Efficiency and Security Trade-off
Due to limited energy resources in OWC devices, security mechanisms
must minimize energy overhead. Lightweight cryptographic protocols
optimized for low-power microcontrollers (e.g., lightweight
authenticated encryption schemes, minimal DTLS[RFC9147] handshake
overhead) and adaptive security levels depending on the device's
operational context should be considered.
2.6. Secure Routing in Multi-hop Networks
In multi-hop OWC networks, the integrity and authenticity of routing
information is essential. Attacks on intermediate nodes or routing
messages can compromise data delivery, causing eavesdropping, packet
dropping, or routing loops. Therefore, secure routing protocols,
such as secure extensions of RPL ([RFC6550] security mechanisms), and
node authentication methods must be implemented to ensure reliable
and trustworthy communication paths.
3. IANA Considerations
None.
4. References
[RFC2119] Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119,
DOI 10.17487/RFC2119, March 1997,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2119>.
[RFC8174] Leiba, B., "Ambiguity of Uppercase vs Lowercase in RFC
2119 Key Words", BCP 14, RFC 8174, DOI 10.17487/RFC8174,
May 2017, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8174>.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the members of the IETF 6lo Working Group.
Authors' Addresses
Munhwan Choi (editor)
Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
218 Gajeongno, Yuseung-gu
Daejeon
34129
South Korea
Phone: +82 42 860 6539
Email: mhchoi@etri.re.kr
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Younghwan Choi
Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
218 Gajeongno, Yuseung-gu
Daejeon
34129
South Korea
Phone: +82 42 860 1429
Email: yhc@etri.re.kr
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