Data-dependent transmitter fingerprints for radio authentication

Abstract

In radio frequency fingerprinting, observations of the impact of unique imperfections in the transmitter circuitry on the transmitted waveform are used to identify the device from which the data was transmitted. While this technique can be used to authenticate radios accessing a secure network, the security of the authentication can be enhanced if the transmitter fingerprint changes based on the transmitted data. This paper uses simulations and measurements to examine the behavior of a data-dependent filter response designed for such an application. The results show that the circuit holds promise for providing a data-dependent fingerprint useful for device authentication.