Radio Frequency Public Key Generator for Digital Cryptographic Application

Abstract

In Internet of Things (IoT) environments, effective public key management is crucial for managing numerous devices. RF features, primarily considered analog features within physical layer authentication by RF Fingerprinting (RFF) processes, present a novel approach to key management. In this research, we introduce a novel RF-based Public Key Generator (RF-PubKG) model that maps RF features into cryptographic sequences by incorporating a Key Generation (KeyGen) layer into the RFF model. The RF-PubKG demonstrates superior performance, achieving 97.2% accuracy at a 20dB SNR and further improving to 99.6% in noise-free conditions with a Frame Error Rate (FER) below 1%. The generated public key sets exhibit negligible correlation, with intra-key-set correlations not exceeding 0.24 and inter-model correlations falling below 0.04, highlighting the reliability of the RF-PubKG model. The integration with the Rivest–Shamir–Adleman (RSA) algorithm provides proof-of-concept for the RF-PubKG-based digital signature scheme, effectively simplifying the Certificate Authorities (CAs) management and, consequently, reducing Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) complexity. This simplification promises effective public key management within the Public Key Cryptography (PKC), thereby enhancing the efficiency of digital signature verification processes. Authors