arXiv subjects

Tugba Erpek

Publications and source records attributed to Tugba Erpek.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Semantic Leakage and Privacy Preservation in Relay-Assisted Semantic Communications

Semantic communication (SemCom) has emerged as a promising paradigm in which the transmission of task-relevant information is prioritized over raw data, enabling efficient and robust communication under resource and channel constraints. In this paper, the privacy implications of relay-assisted SemCom systems are studied, where the intermediate relay node operates directly on learned latent representations. It is shown that the relay, even without access to source data, can reliably infer semantic meaning and reconstruct signals with performance comparable to that of the legitimate receiver, revealing a fundamental privacy vulnerability of semantic representations. To address this issue, an iterative adversarial training framework is proposed in which a strong, adaptively trained eavesdropper at the relay is explicitly accounted for. The proposed approach alternates between optimizing the relay's eavesdropping function and the legitimate system, resulting in representations that preserve semantic decoding performance at the intended receiver while degrading semantic inference at the relay. The semantic accuracy gap between the legitimate receiver and the eavesdropper is significantly enlarged across channel conditions. Importantly, this protection is achieved in a stealthy manner, with high reconstruction fidelity maintained while semantic leakage is selectively suppressed.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2026

Wireless Backdoor Attack and Defense for Semantic Communications over Multiple Access Channel

Semantic communication (SemCom) aims to preserve semantic meaning and task-oriented information beyond conventional message recovery over wireless channels. The adoption of SemCom in shared-access wireless networks introduces new vulnerabilities for multi-user semantic inference. This paper considers a SemCom system for two transmitters communicating with a common receiver over a multiple access channel. Each transmitter maps source information into latent semantic representations, while the receiver jointly reconstructs and classifies the semantic information for both transmitters. A selective over-the-air backdoor (Trojan) attack is presented in which an adversary transmits a low-power trigger waveform over the air and injects it into the shared received signal during training. By transmitting the trigger again during testing, this stealthy, low-power attack selectively manipulates the semantic inference for one transmitter while minimally affecting the inference of the other transmitter. To mitigate this vulnerability, a trigger-aware defense mechanism is developed to preserve correct semantic labels under trigger-contaminated wireless observations. The results demonstrate both the vulnerability of shared-access SemCom systems to selective over-the-air backdoor attacks and the effectiveness of trigger-aware robust training for semantic protection.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2026

When Semantic Communication Meets Queueing: Cross-Layer Latency and Task Fidelity Optimization

Semantic communication (SemCom) with learned encoder-decoder architectures enables end-to-end learning of compact task-oriented representations optimized for the wireless channel, reducing channel resources needed to convey task-relevant information and improving spectrum efficiency. This paper studies semantic image transmission over block Rayleigh fading with AWGN using a multi-task semantic autoencoder that jointly reconstructs images and predicts labels from the received waveform. The latent dimension (complex channel uses per source sample) serves as a cross-layer control variable governing semantic fidelity and channel resource usage. We characterize the resulting latency-task fidelity tradeoff: larger latent representations improve inference accuracy but increase service time, channel uses, and queueing delay. Building on this insight, we develop online semantic-rate controllers that adapt the latent dimension per update under a long-term semantic error constraint. A queue-aware drift-plus-penalty policy minimizes delay subject to an average semantic error cap, while a complementary age-aware policy minimizes time-average Age of Information (AoI). By adapting the semantic rate to congestion and fidelity requirements, the proposed framework improves spectrum utilization and enables timely semantic updates with significantly lower delay and AoI than fixed-rate baselines.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2025

Privacy-Preserving Semantic Communications via Multi-Task Learning and Adversarial Perturbations

Semantic communications conveys task-relevant meaning rather than focusing solely on message reconstruction, improving bandwidth efficiency and robustness for next-generation wireless systems. However, learned semantic representations can still leak sensitive information to unintended receivers (eavesdroppers). This paper presents a deep learning-based semantic communication framework that jointly supports multiple receiver tasks while explicitly limiting semantic leakage to an eavesdropper. The legitimate link employs a learned encoder at the transmitter, while the receiver trains decoders for semantic inference and data reconstruction. The security problem is formulated via an iterative min-max optimization in which an eavesdropper is trained to improve its semantic inference, while the legitimate transmitter-receiver pair is trained to preserve task performance while reducing the eavesdropper's success. We also introduce an auxiliary layer that superimposes a cooperative, adversarially crafted perturbation on the transmitted waveform to degrade semantic leakage to an eavesdropper. Performance is evaluated over Rayleigh fading channels with additive white Gaussian noise using MNIST and CIFAR-10 datasets. Semantic accuracy and reconstruction quality improve with increasing latent dimension, while the min-max mechanism reduces the eavesdropper's inference performance significantly without degrading the legitimate receiver. The perturbation layer is successful in reducing semantic leakage even when the legitimate link is trained only for its own task. This comprehensive framework motivates semantic communication designs with tunable, end-to-end privacy against adaptive adversaries in realistic wireless settings.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2025

Coordinated Anti-Jamming Resilience in Swarm Networks via Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning

Reactive jammers pose a severe security threat to robotic-swarm networks by selectively disrupting inter-agent communications and undermining formation integrity and mission success. Conventional countermeasures such as fixed power control or static channel hopping are largely ineffective against such adaptive adversaries. This paper presents a multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) framework based on the QMIX algorithm to improve the resilience of swarm communications under reactive jamming. We consider a network of multiple transmitter-receiver pairs sharing channels while a reactive jammer with Markovian threshold dynamics senses aggregate power and reacts accordingly. Each agent jointly selects transmit frequency (channel) and power, and QMIX learns a centralized but factorizable action-value function that enables coordinated yet decentralized execution. We benchmark QMIX against a genie-aided optimal policy in a no-channel-reuse setting, and against local Upper Confidence Bound (UCB) and a stateless reactive policy in a more general fading regime with channel reuse enabled. Simulation results show that QMIX rapidly converges to cooperative policies that nearly match the genie-aided bound, while achieving higher throughput and lower jamming incidence than the baselines, thereby demonstrating MARL's effectiveness for securing autonomous swarms in contested environments.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2025

Targeted Attacks and Defenses for Distributed Federated Learning in Vehicular Networks

In emerging networked systems, mobile edge devices such as ground vehicles and unmanned aerial system (UAS) swarms collectively aggregate vast amounts of data to make machine learning decisions such as threat detection in remote, dynamic, and infrastructure-constrained environments where power and bandwidth are scarce. Federated learning (FL) addresses these constraints and privacy concerns by enabling nodes to share local model weights for deep neural networks instead of raw data, facilitating more reliable decision-making than individual learning. However, conventional FL relies on a central server to coordinate model updates in each learning round, which imposes significant computational burdens on the central node and may not be feasible due to the connectivity constraints. By eliminating dependence on a central server, distributed federated learning (DFL) offers scalability, resilience to node failures, learning robustness, and more effective defense strategies. Despite these advantages, DFL remains vulnerable to increasingly advanced and stealthy cyberattacks. In this paper, we design sophisticated targeted training data poisoning and backdoor (Trojan) attacks, and characterize the emerging vulnerabilities in a vehicular network. We analyze how DFL provides resilience against such attacks compared to individual learning and present effective defense mechanisms to further strengthen DFL against the emerging cyber threats.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2025

How to Combat Reactive and Dynamic Jamming Attacks with Reinforcement Learning

This paper studies the problem of mitigating reactive jamming, where a jammer adopts a dynamic policy of selecting channels and sensing thresholds to detect and jam ongoing transmissions. The transmitter-receiver pair learns to avoid jamming and optimize throughput over time (without prior knowledge of channel conditions or jamming strategies) by using reinforcement learning (RL) to adapt transmit power, modulation, and channel selection. Q-learning is employed for discrete jamming-event states, while Deep Q-Networks (DQN) are employed for continuous states based on received power. Through different reward functions and action sets, the results show that RL can adapt rapidly to spectrum dynamics and sustain high rates as channels and jamming policies change over time.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2025

MULTI-SCOUT: Multistatic Integrated Sensing and Communications in 5G and Beyond for Moving Target Detection, Positioning, and Tracking

This paper presents a complete signal-processing chain for multistatic integrated sensing and communications (ISAC) using 5G Positioning Reference Signal (PRS). We consider a distributed architecture in which one gNB transmits a periodic OFDM-PRS waveform while multiple spatially separated receivers exploit the same signal for target detection, parameter estimation and tracking. A coherent cross-ambiguity function (CAF) is evaluated to form a range-Doppler map from which the bistatic delay and radial velocity are extracted for every target. For a single target, bistatic delays are fused through nonlinear least-squares trilateration, yielding a geometric position estimate, and a regularized linear inversion of the radial-speed equations yields a two-dimensional velocity vector, where speed and heading are obtained. The approach is applied to 2D and 3D settings, extended to account for receiver clock synchronization bias, and generalized to multiple targets by resolving target association. The sequence of position-velocity estimates is then fed to standard and extended Kalman filters to obtain smoothed tracks. Our results show high-fidelity moving-target detection, positioning, and tracking using 5G PRS signals for multistatic ISAC.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2025

Relay Selection and User Equipment Admission in Resource-Efficient NextG Sidelink Communications

5G/6G sidelink communications addresses the challenge of connecting outer UEs, which are unable to directly access a base station (gNodeB), through inner UEs that act as relays to connect to the gNodeB. The key performance indicators include the achievable rates, the number of outer UEs that can connect to a gNodeB, and the latency experienced by outer UEs in establishing connections. We consider problem of determining the assignment of outer UEs to inner UEs based on the channel, interference, and traffic characteristics. We formulate an optimization problem to maximize a weighted sum rate of UEs, where weights can represent priority, waiting time, and queue length. This optimization accommodates constraints related to channel and interference characteristics that influence the rates at which links can successfully carry assigned traffic. While an exhaustive search can establish an upper bound on achievable rates by this non-convex optimization problem, it becomes impractical for larger number of outer UEs due to scalability issues related to high computational complexity. To address this, we present a greedy algorithm that incrementally selects links to maximize the sum rate, considering already activated links. This algorithm, although effective in achieving high sum rates, may inadvertently overlook some UEs, raising concerns about fairness. To mitigate this, we introduce a fairness-oriented algorithm that adjusts weights based on waiting time or queue length, ensuring that UEs with initially favorable conditions do not unduly disadvantage others over time. We show that this strategy not only improves the average admission ratio of UEs but also ensures a more equitable distribution of service among them, thereby providing a balanced and fair solution to sidelink communications.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2025

Distributed Federated Learning for Vehicular Network Security: Anomaly Detection Benefits and Multi-Domain Attack Threats

In connected and autonomous vehicles, machine learning for safety message classification has become critical for detecting malicious or anomalous behavior. However, conventional approaches that rely on centralized data collection or purely local training face limitations due to the large scale, high mobility, and heterogeneous data distributions inherent in inter-vehicle networks. To overcome these challenges, this paper explores Distributed Federated Learning (DFL), whereby vehicles collaboratively train deep learning models by exchanging model updates among one-hop neighbors and propagating models over multiple hops. Using the Vehicular Reference Misbehavior (VeReMi) Extension Dataset, we show that DFL can significantly improve classification accuracy across all vehicles compared to learning strictly with local data. Notably, vehicles with low individual accuracy see substantial accuracy gains through DFL, illustrating the benefit of knowledge sharing across the network. We further show that local training data size and time-varying network connectivity correlate strongly with the model's overall accuracy. We investigate DFL's resilience and vulnerabilities under attacks in multiple domains, namely wireless jamming and training data poisoning attacks. Our results reveal important insights into the vulnerabilities of DFL when confronted with multi-domain attacks, underlining the need for more robust strategies to secure DFL in vehicular networks.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2024

Adversarial Attack and Defense for LoRa Device Identification and Authentication via Deep Learning

LoRa provides long-range, energy-efficient communications in Internet of Things (IoT) applications that rely on Low-Power Wide-Area Network (LPWAN) capabilities. Despite these merits, concerns persist regarding the security of LoRa networks, especially in situations where device identification and authentication are imperative to secure the reliable access to the LoRa networks. This paper explores a deep learning (DL) approach to tackle these concerns, focusing on two critical tasks, namely (i) identifying LoRa devices and (ii) classifying them to legitimate and rogue devices. Deep neural networks (DNNs), encompassing both convolutional and feedforward neural networks, are trained for these tasks using actual LoRa signal data. In this setting, the adversaries may spoof rogue LoRa signals through the kernel density estimation (KDE) method based on legitimate device signals that are received by the adversaries. Two cases are considered, (i) training two separate classifiers, one for each of the two tasks, and (ii) training a multi-task classifier for both tasks. The vulnerabilities of the resulting DNNs to manipulations in input samples are studied in form of untargeted and targeted adversarial attacks using the Fast Gradient Sign Method (FGSM). Individual and common perturbations are considered against single-task and multi-task classifiers for the LoRa signal analysis. To provide resilience against such attacks, a defense approach is presented by increasing the robustness of classifiers with adversarial training. Results quantify how vulnerable LoRa signal classification tasks are to adversarial attacks and emphasize the need to fortify IoT applications against these subtle yet effective threats.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2024

Low-Latency Task-Oriented Communications with Multi-Round, Multi-Task Deep Learning

In this paper, we address task-oriented (or goal-oriented) communications where an encoder at the transmitter learns compressed latent representations of data, which are then transmitted over a wireless channel. At the receiver, a decoder performs a machine learning task, specifically for classifying the received signals. The deep neural networks corresponding to the encoder-decoder pair are jointly trained, taking both channel and data characteristics into account. Our objective is to achieve high accuracy in completing the underlying task while minimizing the number of channel uses determined by the encoder's output size. To this end, we propose a multi-round, multi-task learning (MRMTL) approach for the dynamic update of channel uses in multi-round transmissions. The transmitter incrementally sends an increasing number of encoded samples over the channel based on the feedback from the receiver, and the receiver utilizes the signals from a previous round to enhance the task performance, rather than only considering the latest transmission. This approach employs multi-task learning to jointly optimize accuracy across varying number of channel uses, treating each configuration as a distinct task. By evaluating the confidence of the receiver in task decisions, MRMTL decides on whether to allocate additional channel uses in multiple rounds. We characterize both the accuracy and the delay (total number of channel uses) of MRMTL, demonstrating that it achieves the accuracy close to that of conventional methods requiring large numbers of channel uses, but with reduced delay by incorporating signals from a prior round. We consider the CIFAR-10 dataset, convolutional neural network architectures, and AWGN and Rayleigh channel models for performance evaluation. We show that MRMTL significantly improves the efficiency of task-oriented communications, balancing accuracy and latency effectively.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2024

Continual Deep Reinforcement Learning to Prevent Catastrophic Forgetting in Jamming Mitigation

Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) has been highly effective in learning from and adapting to RF environments and thus detecting and mitigating jamming effects to facilitate reliable wireless communications. However, traditional DRL methods are susceptible to catastrophic forgetting (namely forgetting old tasks when learning new ones), especially in dynamic wireless environments where jammer patterns change over time. This paper considers an anti-jamming system and addresses the challenge of catastrophic forgetting in DRL applied to jammer detection and mitigation. First, we demonstrate the impact of catastrophic forgetting in DRL when applied to jammer detection and mitigation tasks, where the network forgets previously learned jammer patterns while adapting to new ones. This catastrophic interference undermines the effectiveness of the system, particularly in scenarios where the environment is non-stationary. We present a method that enables the network to retain knowledge of old jammer patterns while learning to handle new ones. Our approach substantially reduces catastrophic forgetting, allowing the anti-jamming system to learn new tasks without compromising its ability to perform previously learned tasks effectively. Furthermore, we introduce a systematic methodology for sequentially learning tasks in the anti-jamming framework. By leveraging continual DRL techniques based on PackNet, we achieve superior anti-jamming performance compared to standard DRL methods. Our proposed approach not only addresses catastrophic forgetting but also enhances the adaptability and robustness of the system in dynamic jamming environments. We demonstrate the efficacy of our method in preserving knowledge of past jammer patterns, learning new tasks efficiently, and achieving superior anti-jamming performance compared to traditional DRL approaches.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2024

I-SCOUT: Integrated Sensing and Communications to Uncover Moving Targets in NextG Networks

Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) represents a transformative approach within 5G and beyond, aiming to merge wireless communication and sensing functionalities into a unified network infrastructure. This integration offers enhanced spectrum efficiency, real-time situational awareness, cost and energy reductions, and improved operational performance. ISAC provides simultaneous communication and sensing capabilities, enhancing the ability to detect, track, and respond to spectrum dynamics and potential threats in complex environments. In this paper, we introduce I-SCOUT, an innovative ISAC solution designed to uncover moving targets in NextG networks. We specifically repurpose the Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) of the 5G waveform, exploiting its distinctive autocorrelation characteristics for environment sensing. The reflected signals from moving targets are processed to estimate both the range and velocity of these targets using the cross ambiguity function (CAF). We conduct an in-depth analysis of the tradeoff between sensing and communication functionalities, focusing on the allocation of PRSs for ISAC purposes. Our study reveals that the number of PRSs dedicated to ISAC has a significant impact on the system's performance, necessitating a careful balance to optimize both sensing accuracy and communication efficiency. Our results demonstrate that I-SCOUT effectively leverages ISAC to accurately determine the range and velocity of moving targets. Moreover, I-SCOUT is capable of distinguishing between multiple targets within a group, showcasing its potential for complex scenarios. These findings underscore the viability of ISAC in enhancing the capabilities of NextG networks, for both commercial and tactical applications where precision and reliability are critical.

eess.SP↗

arXiv2024

Will 6G be Semantic Communications? Opportunities and Challenges from Task Oriented and Secure Communications to Integrated Sensing

This paper explores opportunities and challenges of task (goal)-oriented and semantic communications for next-generation (NextG) communication networks through the integration of multi-task learning. This approach employs deep neural networks representing a dedicated encoder at the transmitter and multiple task-specific decoders at the receiver, collectively trained to handle diverse tasks including semantic information preservation, source input reconstruction, and integrated sensing and communications. To extend the applicability from point-to-point links to multi-receiver settings, we envision the deployment of decoders at various receivers, where decentralized learning addresses the challenges of communication load and privacy concerns, leveraging federated learning techniques that distribute model updates across decentralized nodes. However, the efficacy of this approach is contingent on the robustness of the employed deep learning models. We scrutinize potential vulnerabilities stemming from adversarial attacks during both training and testing phases. These attacks aim to manipulate both the inputs at the encoder at the transmitter and the signals received over the air on the receiver side, highlighting the importance of fortifying semantic communications against potential multi-domain exploits. Overall, the joint and robust design of task-oriented communications, semantic communications, and integrated sensing and communications in a multi-task learning framework emerges as the key enabler for context-aware, resource-efficient, and secure communications ultimately needed in NextG network systems.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2023

Securing NextG Systems against Poisoning Attacks on Federated Learning: A Game-Theoretic Solution

This paper studies the poisoning attack and defense interactions in a federated learning (FL) system, specifically in the context of wireless signal classification using deep learning for next-generation (NextG) communications. FL collectively trains a global model without the need for clients to exchange their data samples. By leveraging geographically dispersed clients, the trained global model can be used for incumbent user identification, facilitating spectrum sharing. However, in this distributed learning system, the presence of malicious clients introduces the risk of poisoning the training data to manipulate the global model through falsified local model exchanges. To address this challenge, a proactive defense mechanism is employed in this paper to make informed decisions regarding the admission or rejection of clients participating in FL systems. Consequently, the attack-defense interactions are modeled as a game, centered around the underlying admission and poisoning decisions. First, performance bounds are established, encompassing the best and worst strategies for attackers and defenders. Subsequently, the attack and defense utilities are characterized within the Nash equilibrium, where no player can unilaterally improve its performance given the fixed strategies of others. The results offer insights into novel operational modes that safeguard FL systems against poisoning attacks by quantifying the performance of both attacks and defenses in the context of NextG communications.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2023

Adversarial Attacks on LoRa Device Identification and Rogue Signal Detection with Deep Learning

Low-Power Wide-Area Network (LPWAN) technologies, such as LoRa, have gained significant attention for their ability to enable long-range, low-power communication for Internet of Things (IoT) applications. However, the security of LoRa networks remains a major concern, particularly in scenarios where device identification and classification of legitimate and spoofed signals are crucial. This paper studies a deep learning framework to address these challenges, considering LoRa device identification and legitimate vs. rogue LoRa device classification tasks. A deep neural network (DNN), either a convolutional neural network (CNN) or feedforward neural network (FNN), is trained for each task by utilizing real experimental I/Q data for LoRa signals, while rogue signals are generated by using kernel density estimation (KDE) of received signals by rogue devices. Fast Gradient Sign Method (FGSM)-based adversarial attacks are considered for LoRa signal classification tasks using deep learning models. The impact of these attacks is assessed on the performance of two tasks, namely device identification and legitimate vs. rogue device classification, by utilizing separate or common perturbations against these signal classification tasks. Results presented in this paper quantify the level of transferability of adversarial attacks on different LoRa signal classification tasks as a major vulnerability and highlight the need to make IoT applications robust to adversarial attacks.

cs.CR↗

arXiv2023

Joint Sensing and Task-Oriented Communications with Image and Wireless Data Modalities for Dynamic Spectrum Access

This paper introduces a deep learning approach to dynamic spectrum access, leveraging the synergy of multi-modal image and spectrum data for the identification of potential transmitters. We consider an edge device equipped with a camera that is taking images of potential objects such as vehicles that may harbor transmitters. Recognizing the computational constraints and trust issues associated with on-device computation, we propose a collaborative system wherein the edge device communicates selectively processed information to a trusted receiver acting as a fusion center, where a decision is made to identify whether a potential transmitter is present, or not. To achieve this, we employ task-oriented communications, utilizing an encoder at the transmitter for joint source coding, channel coding, and modulation. This architecture efficiently transmits essential information of reduced dimension for object classification. Simultaneously, the transmitted signals may reflect off objects and return to the transmitter, allowing for the collection of target sensing data. Then the collected sensing data undergoes a second round of encoding at the transmitter, with the reduced-dimensional information communicated back to the fusion center through task-oriented communications. On the receiver side, a decoder performs the task of identifying a transmitter by fusing data received through joint sensing and task-oriented communications. The two encoders at the transmitter and the decoder at the receiver are jointly trained, enabling a seamless integration of image classification and wireless signal detection. Using AWGN and Rayleigh channel models, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, showcasing high accuracy in transmitter identification across diverse channel conditions while sustaining low latency in decision making.

cs.NI↗