Physical Layer Enhanced Zero-Trust Security for Wireless Industrial Internet of Things

As security issues facing the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) continue to emerge, industrial organizations are working to further improve the security system. Zero trust (ZT) is seen as the future of industrial security, with a rising voice, but currently, no concrete implementation technique is available. In this article, we start with the requirements of ZT security and attempt to design a ZT technical framework applicable to wireless IIoT. Specifically, a three-step ZT security framework is proposed that builds on the benefits of physical-layer security to enhance ZT in IIoT. Security zone formation is done first, which then facilitates a trusted environment for subsequent device authentication and cryptographic negotiation. By integrating physical-layer security, several promising techniques, including artificial noise, physical fingerprint, and key distribution, are well designed to accomplish the proposed framework. Our analysis reveals that the proposed framework and the designed particular implementation techniques are feasible to enhance ZT security in wireless IIoT.