Security issues for Software Defined Radio: Design of a secure download system

To promote the commercial implementation of software download for software defined radio (SDR) terminals, a secure method of download is vital. This paper examines the needs of software download for SDR, and proposes a comprehensive system framework within which secure download can be carried out. The features of the proposed system include unique individual encryption to each terminal and secure exchangeability of any cryptographic components. The main goals of the security system are the following: (i) verification of the identity of the source of the software; (ii) control and verification of the integrity of the downloaded data; (iii) disabling of the ability to run unauthorized software on the software defined terminal; (iv) secrecy of the transmitted data The proposed system is flexible and in harmony with current requirements regarding the SDR security issues.