VoltKey: Using Power Line Noise for Zero-Involvement Pairing and Authentication (Demo Abstract)
This addresses secure, zero-involvement authentication for IoT and mobile devices, though it is incremental as it builds on existing noise-based methods.
VoltKey tackles the problem of secure device pairing and authentication by generating secret keys from power line noise, enabling colocated devices to authenticate without user involvement, with implementation in a standard USB power supply.
We present VoltKey, a method that transparently generates secret keys for colocated devices, leveraging spatiotemporally unique noise contexts observed in commercial power line infrastructure. VoltKey extracts randomness from power line noise and securely converts it into an authentication token. Nearby devices which observe the same noise patterns on the powerline generate identical keys. The unique noise pattern observed only by trusted devices connected to a local power line prevents malicious devices without physical access from obtaining unauthorized access to the network. VoltKey is implemented inside of a standard USB power supply as a platform-agnostic bolt-on addition to any IoT or mobile device or any wireless access point that is connected to the power outlet.