Open AccessA method for secure communications over a public fiber-optical network
Author(s) -
Bernard Wu,
Evgenii E. Narimanov
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.14.003738
Subject(s) - computer science , computer network , covert channel , channel (broadcasting) , transmission (telecommunications) , secure communication , steganography , telecommunications , encryption , embedding , cloud computing , security information and event management , artificial intelligence , cloud computing security , operating system
We develop a spread-spectrum based approach to secure communications over existing fiber-optical networks. Secure transmission for a dedicated user is achieved by overlaying a covert channel onto a host channel in the existing active fiber link. The covert channel is optically encoded and temporally spread, and has average power below the noise floor in the fiber, making it hidden for a direct detection thus allowing for cryptographic and steganographic security capabilities. The presence for the host channel in the network provides an ad hoc security expansion and increases the difficulty for an eavesdropper to intercept and decode the secure signal.