Recent security issues on cognitive radio networks: A survey

Cognitive radio networks are a method for improving wireless communications with radios that can adapt their operating parameters to cope with changes in their environment. This flexibility enables radios to perform with greater throughput, robustness, and field updatability than traditional wireless communication devices; unfortunately, it also presents several security challenges unique to cognitive radio networks and new angles for traditional attacks. These threats can be classified into radio configurability and cognitive radio behavioral vulnerabilities. In this paper we explore specific threats to cognitive radio networks and their countermeasures from literature. With this paper, readers can have a thorough understanding of cognitive radio network security and the research trends in this area.