The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed the Device-level Anomaly fRamEwork (DARE), a new approach to cybersecurity that focuses on the physical layer of wireless communication. Unlike traditional methods that target higher network layers, DARE detects security threats by analyzing subtle variations in physical signals between user devices and base stations. This helps identify issues like misconfigurations or cyberattacks that might otherwise go unnoticed, especially in advanced networks like 5G and future 6G systems.
DARE uses real-world test environments, such as NIST’s National Broadband Interoperability Testbed, to collect and analyze communication data across multiple network layers. This data is used to train machine learning models that can detect anomalies with high accuracy. The framework has already contributed to international standards efforts, including IEEE P1952, and is being used by research groups and industry initiatives like the Next G Alliance. DARE’s open datasets are helping researchers develop more secure communication technologies, and future work includes integrating quantum sensing and improving detection against AI-driven threats.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/unlocking-cybersecurity-physical-layer
Keywords: anomaly detection, physical layer security, metrology driven framework
