Cyber Spectrum Intelligence: Security Applications, Challenges and Road Ahead

Cyber Spectrum Intelligence (SpecInt) is emerging as a concept that extends beyond basic {\em spectrum sensing} and {\em signal intelligence} to encompass a broader set of capabilities and technologies aimed at monitoring the use of the radio spectrum and extracting information. SpecInt merges traditional spectrum sensing techniques with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and parallel processing to enhance the ability to extract and correlate simultaneous events occurring on various frequencies, allowing for a new wave of intelligence applications. This paper provides an overview of the emerging SpecInt research area, characterizing the system architecture and the most relevant applications for cyber-physical security. We identify five subcategories of spectrum intelligence for cyber-physical security, encompassing Device Intelligence, Channel Intelligence, Location Intelligence, Communication Intelligence, and Ambient Intelligence. We also provide preliminary results based on an experimental testbed showing the viability, feasibility, and potential of this emerging application area. Finally, we point out current research challenges and future directions paving the way for further research in this domain.