Security considerations for IPv6 Packets over Short-Range Optical Wireless Communications

Introduction The rapid growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) has led to a significant increase in the number of wireless communication technologies utilized for real-time data collection and monitoring in various industrial domains, such as manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, transportation, and so on. This trend highlights the importance of wireless communication in facilitating real-time data exchange and analysis, ultimately contributing to enhanced operational efficiency and decision-making processes across different industrial sectors. Optical Wireless Communications (OWC) stands as one of the potential candidates for IoT wireless communication technologies, extensively applied across various industrial domains. The IEEE802.15.7 standard outlines the procedures for establishing bidirectional communications between two OWC devices. Furthermore, IEEE 802.15.7 delineates a comprehensive OWC standard, encompassing features like Visible Light Communication (VLC), Short-Range Communication, Line-of-Sight (LOS) and Non-Line-of-Sight (NLOS) Support, High and Low Data Rates, Energy Efficiency, and Secure Communication. This document describes security considerations for IPv6 over Optical Wireless Communications.

Security Considerations Optical Wireless Communication (OWC) systems introduce unique security concerns due to their reliance on visible or infrared light. Below are key security considerations.

Eavesdropping and Data Interception Since OWC relies on optical signals, communications can be susceptible to interception when the line-of-sight (LOS) path is unobstructed. Mitigation techniques include directional communication, encryption of data, and limiting transmission power to reduce signal leakage. Additionally, employing beam steering technologies, narrow optical beam divergence, and robust end-to-end encryption at the IPv6 adaptation layer are recommended to further enhance confidentiality.

Data Integrity Environmental factors such as ambient light interference, obstacles, multipath reflections, and LED modulation inconsistencies can degrade OWC data integrity. Strong error detection and correction mechanisms at the PHY layer combined with IPv6-level integrity protection are recommended. In addition, to ensure the integrity of header-compressed IPv6 packets, the SCHC compression context should be securely managed and protected from unauthorized modifications or corruptions.

Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks OWC can experience physical jamming attacks via high-intensity optical noise or physical obstruction, potentially disrupting communications. Mitigations include incorporating PHY-layer interference detection mechanisms and adaptive modulation schemes, as well as implementing network-layer redundancy through alternative IPv6 routing paths via multi-hop OWC topologies.

Authentication and Access Control Unauthorized OWC device access can lead to unauthorized data transmissions or network compromise. Mutual authentication through IPv6-based Datagram Transport Layer Security [RFC9147] and device identity verification utilizing IEEE 802.15.7 link-layer addresses combined with IPv6 interface identifiers are recommended.

Energy Efficiency and Security Trade-off Due to limited energy resources in OWC devices, security mechanisms must minimize energy overhead. Lightweight cryptographic protocols optimized for low-power microcontrollers (e.g., lightweight authenticated encryption schemes, minimal DTLS[RFC9147] handshake overhead) and adaptive security levels depending on the device's operational context should be considered.

Secure Routing in Multi-hop Networks In multi-hop OWC networks, the integrity and authenticity of routing information is essential. Attacks on intermediate nodes or routing messages can compromise data delivery, causing eavesdropping, packet dropping, or routing loops. Therefore, secure routing protocols, such as secure extensions of RPL ([RFC6550] security mechanisms), and node authentication methods must be implemented to ensure reliable and trustworthy communication paths.