Short Packet Secure Covert Communication Design and Optimization

TIAN Bo; YANG Weiwei; SHA Li; SHANG Zhihui; CAO Kuo; LIU Changming

doi:10.11999/JEIT250800

Article Contents

Article Navigation > Journal of Electronics & Information Technology > 2025 >

TIAN Bo, YANG Weiwei, SHA Li, SHANG Zhihui, CAO Kuo, LIU Changming. Short Packet Secure Covert Communication Design and Optimization[J]. Journal of Electronics & Information Technology. doi: 10.11999/JEIT250800

Citation:

TIAN Bo, YANG Weiwei, SHA Li, SHANG Zhihui, CAO Kuo, LIU Changming. Short Packet Secure Covert Communication Design and Optimization[J]. Journal of Electronics & Information Technology. doi: 10.11999/JEIT250800

Citation:

PDF( 1552 KB)

Short Packet Secure Covert Communication Design and Optimization

doi: 10.11999/JEIT250800 cstr: 32379.14.JEIT250800

1.
College of Communication Engineering, Army Engineering University of PLA, Nanjing 210007, China
2.
The 63rd Research Institute, National University of Defense Technology, Nanjing 210007, China
3.
College of Electronic Science and Technology, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410074, China
4.
Tongfang Electronic Technology Company, Jiujiang 332000, China

Funds: The National Natural Science Foundation of China (62201584, 62427802, 62301594, 62171461 and 62071486)

Received Date: 2025-08-27
Accepted Date: 2025-11-03
Rev Recd Date: 2025-11-03

Available Online: 2025-11-12

Abstract

Abstract

Objective This paper addresses the dual security threats of eavesdropping and detection in Multiple-Input Single-Output (MISO) communication systems with short packet transmissions. We propose an integrated secure and covert transmission scheme that combines physical layer security with covert communication techniques. The objective is to overcome the limitations of conventional encryption in short packet scenarios, improve communication concealment, and ensure information confidentiality. Our ultimate goal is to maximize the Average Effective Secrecy and Covert Rate (AESCR) via the joint optimization of packet length and transmit power, thereby providing robust security for low-latency Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Methods We adopt a MISO system model employing Maximum Ratio Transmission (MRT) beamforming to leverage spatial degrees of freedom for enhancing security. Through rigorous theoretical analysis, we derive closed-form expressions for the warden’s (Willie’s) optimal detection threshold and minimum detection error probability. A statistical covertness constraint based on Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence is established to transform intractable instantaneous requirements into a manageable average constraint. We introduce a novel performance metric, the AESCR, to comprehensively evaluate system performance in terms of covertness, secrecy, and reliability. The core of our optimization strategy lies in the joint design of packet length and transmit power. By exploiting the inherent coupling between these variables, we reformulate the original dual-variable maximization problem into a tractable form that can be efficiently solved via a one-dimensional search. Results and Discussions : Simulation results validate the theoretical analyses, demonstrating close agreement between the derived expressions and Monte Carlo simulations for Willie’s detection error probability. The results indicate that multi-antenna configurations significantly improve the AESCR by concentrating signal energy toward the legitimate user and reducing eavesdropping risks. Notably, the proposed joint optimization of transmit power and packet length achieves a substantially higher AESCR compared to power-only optimization, particularly under strict covertness constraints. We also identify critical trade-offs: an optimal packet length exists that balances coding gain against exposure risk, and relaxed covertness constraints lead to consistent improvements in AESCR. Furthermore, multi-antenna technology proves essential in mitigating the inherent low-power limitations of covert communication. Conclusions This study presents an integrated framework for secure and covert communication in short packet MISO systems, achieving significant performance gains through the joint optimization of transmit power and packet length. The key contributions include: (i) a novel transmission architecture that integrates security and covertness, supported by closed-form solutions for the warden’s detection threshold and error probability under a KL divergence-based constraint; (ii) the introduction of the AESCR metric, which unifies the evaluation of secrecy, covertness, and reliability; and (iii) the formulation and efficient solution of the AESCR maximization problem. Simulations confirm that the proposed joint optimization scheme outperforms power-only optimization, especially under strict covertness conditions. The AESCR increases monotonically with the number of transmit antennas, and an optimal packet length exists to balance transmission efficiency and covertness.
- Short packet communication,
- Physical layer security,
- Covert communication,
- Average Effective Secrecy and Covert Rate (AESCR)

FullText(HTML)

References(27)

References

[1]	冯晨, 王慧明. 面向5G的短包物理层安全通信[J]. 中国科学: 信息科学, 2021, 51(9): 1507–1523. doi: 10.1360/SSI-2020-0397. FENG Chen and WANG Huiming. Secure physical layer short-packet communication for 5G[J]. Scientia Sinica Informationis, 2021, 51(9): 1507–1523. doi: 10.1360/SSI-2020-0397.
[2]	周小波, 于辉, 彭旭, 等. 智能反射面辅助及人工噪声增强的无线隐蔽通信[J]. 电子与信息学报, 2022, 44(7): 2392–2399. doi: 10.11999/JEIT211618. ZHOU Xiaobo, YU Hui, PENG Xu, et al. Wireless covert communications based on intelligent reflecting surface aided and artificial noise enhanced[J]. Journal of Electronics & Information Technology, 2022, 44(7): 2392–2399. doi: 10.11999/JEIT211618.
[3]	WAN Zhang, HUANG Kaizhi, XU Xiaoming, et al. RIS-assisted integration of communications and security: Protocol, prototyping, and field trials[J]. IEEE Internet of Things Journal, 2024, 11(16): 26877–26887. doi: 10.1109/JIOT.2024.3390677.
[4]	WAN Zheng, LIU Kexin, CHEN Yajun, et al. Resource allocation for STAR-RIS-assisted MIMO physical-layer key generation[J]. IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security, 2024, 19: 10328–10338. doi: 10.1109/TIFS.2024.3488509.
[5]	FENG Chen, WANG Huiming, and POOR H V. Reliable and secure short-packet communications[J]. IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, 2022, 21(3): 1913–1926. doi: 10.1109/TWC.2021.3108042.
[6]	SONG Lulu, ZHANG Di, JIA Shaobo, et al. STAR-RIS-aided NOMA for secured xURLLC[J]. IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, 2025, 74(8): 13249–13254. doi: 10.1109/TVT.2025.3556542.
[7]	WANG Zeyin, ZHANG Di, JIA Shaobo, et al. Joint security-latency design for short packet-based low-altitude communications[J]. IEEE Communications Letters, 2025, 29(6): 1401–1405. doi: 10.1109/LCOMM.2025.3563514.
[8]	LI Lintao, CHEN Wei, POPOVSKI P, et al. Reliability-latency-rate tradeoff in low-latency communications with finite-blocklength coding[J]. IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, 2025, 71(1): 360–389. doi: 10.1109/TIT.2024.3485173.
[9]	BASH B A, GOECKEL D, and TOWSLEY D. Limits of reliable communication with low probability of detection on AWGN channels[J]. IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications, 2013, 31(9): 1921–1930. doi: 10.1109/JSAC.2013.130923.
[10]	YANG Weiwei, LU Xingbo, YAN Shihao, et al. Age of information for short-packet covert communication[J]. IEEE Wireless Communications Letters, 2021, 10(9): 1890–1894. doi: 10.1109/LWC.2021.3085025.
[11]	CHE Bohan, SHI Hui, LU Xingbo, et al. Covert multi-channel communication against interference-assisted proactive detection[J]. IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, 2024, 73(9): 14033–14037. doi: 10.1109/TVT.2024.3394734.
[12]	LU Xingbo, YAN Shihao, YANG Weiwei, et al. Covert communication with time uncertainty in time-critical wireless networks[J]. IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, 2023, 22(2): 1116–1129. doi: 10.1109/TWC.2022.3201872.
[13]	FAN Hongbin, YANG Weiwei, SHI Hui, et al. Covert communication in underlay multi-antenna cognitive radio networks[J]. IEEE Transactions on Cognitive Communications and Networking, 2025, 11(3): 1493–1507. doi: 10.1109/TCCN.2024.3475369.
[14]	FOROUZESH M, AZMI P, KUHESTANI A, et al. Covert communication and secure transmission over untrusted relaying networks in the presence of multiple wardens[J]. IEEE Transactions on Communications, 2020, 68(6): 3737–3749. doi: 10.1109/TCOMM.2020.2978206.
[15]	FOROUZESH M, AZMI P, KUHESTANI A, et al. Joint information-theoretic secrecy and covert communication in the presence of an untrusted user and warden[J]. IEEE Internet of Things Journal, 2021, 8(9): 7170–7181. doi: 10.1109/JIOT.2020.3038682.
[16]	WEN Yingkun, LIU Lei, LI Junhuai, et al. A covert jamming scheme against an intelligent eavesdropper in cooperative cognitive radio networks[J]. IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, 2023, 72(10): 13243–13254. doi: 10.1109/TVT.2023.3277457.
[17]	ZHOU Xiaobo, YONG Jiang, XIA Tingting, et al. Intelligent reflecting surface-aided secure and covert communications[J]. China Communications, 2024, 21(9): 1–10. doi: 10.23919/JCC.fa.2023-0567.202409.
[18]	LIU Pengpeng, LI Zan, SI Jiangbo, et al. Joint information-theoretic secrecy and covertness for UAV-Assisted wireless transmission with finite blocklength[J]. IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, 2023, 72(8): 10187–10199. doi: 10.1109/TVT.2023.3254882.
[19]	MAO Haobin, LIU Yanming, XIAO Zhenyu, et al. Energy efficient defense against cooperative hostile detection and eavesdropping attacks for AAV-aided short-packet transmissions[J]. IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, 2025, 74(2): 3082–3095. doi: 10.1109/TVT.2024.3483256.
[20]	WANG Chao, LI Zan, ZHANG Haibin, et al. Achieving covertness and security in broadcast channels with finite blocklength[J]. IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, 2022, 21(9): 7624–7640. doi: 10.1109/TWC.2022.3160051.
[21]	ZHANG Tongxing, WANG Huiming, NG D W K, et al. Multi-antenna covert communications in random wireless networks[J]. IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, 2019, 18(3): 1974–1987. doi: 10.1109/TWC.2019.2900915.
[22]	YAN Shihao, HE Biao, ZHOU Xiangyun, et al. Delay-intolerant covert communications with either fixed or random transmit power[J]. IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security, 2019, 14(1): 129–140. doi: 10.1109/TIFS.2018.2846257.
[23]	HE Biao, YAN Shihao, ZHOU Xiangyun, et al. On covert communication with noise uncertainty[J]. IEEE Communications Letters, 2017, 21(4): 941–944. doi: 10.1109/LCOMM.2016.2647716.
[24]	LEHMANN E L and ROMANO J P. Testing Statistical Hypotheses[M]. Switzerland: Springer, 2022: 709–712. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-70578-7.
[25]	HU Jinsong, YAN Shihao, ZHOU Xiaobo, et al. Covert communications without channel state information at receiver in IoT systems[J]. IEEE Internet of Things Journal, 2020, 7(11): 11103–11114. doi: 10.1109/JIOT.2020.2994441.
[26]	YANG Wei, SCHAEFER R F, and POOR H V. Finite-blocklength bounds for wiretap channels[C]. 2016 IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory, Barcelona, Spain, 2016: 3087–3091. doi: 10.1109/ISIT.2016.7541867.
[27]	WANG Yuntian, ZHOU Xiaobo, ZHUANG Zhihong, et al. UAV-enabled secure communication with finite blocklength[J]. IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, 2020, 69(12): 16309–16313. doi: 10.1109/TVT.2020.3042791.