Physical Layer Security in Wireless Communication: An Overview

In the past few decades wireless communication has been growing with leaps and bounds characterised by demand for safer, faster and enhanced communication systems. Exploiting the physical properties of communication through appropriate signalling and coding processes, the concept of Physical Layer Security (PLS) has intensified. Consequently, the pursuit for this fulfilment has led to surfacing of inevitable high data traffic and challenges with data security. For futuristic technologies like 5G and beyond, traditional technologies like Radio Frequency (RF) unaccompanied have proved to be rather inefficient and search for alternative and upgraded technologies like Visible Light Communication (VLC) has gained momentum. However, VLC technology is not sufficient in all terms and in combination with RF demonstrates superior capabilities. In this paper an attempt has been made to evaluate the importance of PLS systems and the depth and degree up to which engineers and researchers have been able to reach in attaining robustness and resilience in it as an integral aspect of RF and VLC systems.