Game theory-based attack and defense analysis in virtual wireless networks with jammers and eavesdroppers

Abstract Dynamic spectrum sharing and cognitive radio networks were proposed to enhance the Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum utilization. However thee are several challenges to realize them in real systems, such as sensing uncertainty causing issues to licensed users, business models for licensed service providers. Wireless virtualization is regarded as a technology that leverages service level agreements to sublease unused or underutilized RF spectrum that addresses aforementioned issues and helps to significantly enhance the utilization of the RF spectrum, offer improved coverage and capacity of networks, enhance network security and reduce energy consumption. With wireless virtualization, wireless networks’ physical substrate is shared and reconfigured dynamically between virtual wireless networks through Mobile Virtual Network Operations (MVNOs). Wireless virtualization with dynamic configurable features of Wireless Infrastructure Providers (WIPs), virtualized wireless networks are vulnerable to a multitude of attacks, including jamming attacks and eavesdropping attacks. This paper investigates a means of defense through the employment of coalition game theory when jammers try to degrade the signal quality of legitimate users, and eavesdroppers aim to reduce secrecy rates. Specifically, we consider a virtual wireless network where MVNO users’ job is to improve their Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR) while the jammers target to collectively enhance their Jammer Received Signal Strength (JRSS), and eavesdropper’s goal is to reduce the overall secrecy rate. Numerical results have demonstrated that the proposed game strategies are effective (in terms of data rate, secrecy rate and latency) against such attackers compared to the traditional approaches.