Physical Layer Security Approaches in 5G Wireless Communication Networks

Rapid growth in the fifth generation (5G) wireless network applications demands new requirements on the data storage, computation, and networking. Thus, it will introduce new threats to the integrity, availability, and confidentiality. 5G is advantageous concerning high data rate, low latency, energy and spectrum efficient, higher capacity, and reliable connectivity. Currently, safeguarding information in the 5G wireless networks is the pivotal issue for research. In this paper, the importance of Physical Layer Security (PLS) for secure transmission of information in wireless networks are discussed. Some popular 5G technologies are studied in the context of security during transmission. With all this, significant issues and challenges are identified in the implementation of new technologies into reality. These technologies are mobile-health (m-health), cognitive radio networks (CRNs), constructive interference, massive multiple input multiple output (massive MIMO), non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) and simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT). Future challenges and direction for the further study of such technologies are also given. Moreover, one numerical result is presented for the spectral efficiency in MIMO communication system.