Innovation of WindTexter

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With 5G cellular networks being progressively deployed worldwide, ensuring secure operation through 5G infrastructure is essential for military, government, and critical infrastructure applications. Convergence research and development are required to accelerate the transformation of technical innovations into viable products in the 5G domain. Indeed, it is not only technical issues that need to be addressed. It requires close collaboration and coordination among inventors, developers, venture capital, stakeholders, vendors, decision makers, and end customers.

To address the multidisciplinary challenges in convergence research for securely operating through 5G infrastructure, George Mason University (GMU) is partnering with Michigan State University (MSU), AT&T, and Widelity with team members from diverse backgrounds and expertise, including cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), natural language processing (NLP), steganography, mobile networks, wireless communication, speech processing, innovation, and commercialization aiming to solve comprehensive technical and engineering problems, and achieve an accelerated development and commercialization process.

The team proposes to develop, test, and commercialize a product, "WindTexter", that can expand the end user's capability of securely communicating over non-cooperative 5G networks by building a covert and end-to-end secure channel over indigenous 5G messaging and voice services.

WindTexter will greatly enhance the ability of overseas U.S. personnel to communicate securely and reliably among themselves as well as safeguard their privacy in mission-critical scenarios. WindTexter could be used by activists and journalists as a tool to promote free speech globally under authoritarian regimes. Domestically, WindTexter could be used by law enforcement agents who require a high degree of covertness, security and reliability in their communications.

The overall impact of this project will be broadened by dissemination of non-proprietary scientific research and development results and educational material development. The project includes a strong broadening participation program targeting students from underrepresented groups particularly undergraduate women and Black/African American students. Program activities include a seminar series, summer internships, and outreach events, which are designed to expose the students to 5G security issues and stimulate their interest in STEM careers.

This website is created and maintained by the PI, Kai Zeng, to disseminate and share research results and other information related to the project. We welcome your comments and suggestions by contacting me at kzeng2@gmu.edu.

 

Team Members and Partners

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GMU team members:

Collaborators and Partners:

Past Collaborators and Partners:

 

Outreach Activities

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Webinar on Securely Operating Through 5G Infrastructure:

 

Publications

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1. Osoro B Ogutu, Edward J Oughton, Kai Zeng, Brian L. Mark, "Assessing the Socio-economic Impacts of Secure Texting and Anti-Jamming Technologies in Non-Cooperative Networks", arXiv:2303.17013 [eess.SP], Mar. 2023.
2. J. Weitz, "Security Through Frequency Diversity in The 5G NR Standard", M.S. Thesis, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, George Mason University, Aug. 2022.
3. Maolin Gan, Yimeng Liu, Li Liu, Chenshu Wu, Younsuk Dong, Huacheng Zeng, Zhichao Cao, "Poster: mmLeaf: Versatile Leaf Wetness Detection via mmWave Sensing", Proceedings of the 21st Annual International Conference on Mobile Systems, Applications and Services, pp. 563--564, June 2023.

 

Teaching and Curriculum Development

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• Fall 2022, George Mason University
• ECE 532: Secure Wireless Communications and Networks
• Fall 2022, George Mason University
• ECE 542: Computer Network Architectures and Protocols
• Fall 2022, George Mason University
• ECE 465: Computer Networking Protocols
• Fall 2023, George Mason University
• ECE 631: Software-Defined Radio

 

Sponsors

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• U.S. National Science Foundation Convergence Accelerator Track G Program: Securely Operating Through 5G Infrastructure (Award # ITE-2226423).

 

 

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Note: Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed on this website are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation (NSF).