Gaurang Bansal

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are becoming very popular nowadays due to the emergence of application areas such as the Internet of Drones (IoD). They are finding wide applicability in areas ranging from package delivery systems to automated military applications. Nevertheless, communication security between a UAV and its ground station (GS) is critical for completing its task without leaking sensitive information either to the adversaries or to unauthenticated users. UAVs are especially vulnerable to physical capture and node tampering attacks. Further, since UAV devices are generally equipped with small batteries and limited memory storage, lightweight security techniques are best suited for them. Addressing these issues, a lightweight mutual authentication scheme based on Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) for UAV-GS authentication is presented in this paper. The UAV-GS authentication scheme is extended further to support UAV-UAV authentication. We present a formal security analysis as well as old-fashioned cryptanalysis and show that our protocol provides various security features such as mutual authentication, user anonymity, etc, and is resilient against many security attacks such as masquerade, replay, node tampering, and cloning attacks, etc. We also compare the performance of our protocol with state-of-the-art authentication protocols for UAVs, based on computation, communication, and memory storage cost.

EVs have been slowly replacing conventional fuel based vehicles since the last decade. EVs are not only environment- friendly, but when used in conjunction with a smart grid, opens up new possibilities and a Vehicle-Smart Grid ecosystem, commonly called V2G can be achieved. This would not only encourage people to switch to environment-friendly EVs or Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), but it could positively aid in load management on the power grid, and present new economic benefits to all the entities involved in such an ecosystem. Nonetheless, privacy and security concerns remain the serious concerns of smart grids. The devices used in V2G are tiny, inexpensive, and resource constrained, which renders them susceptible to multiple attacks. Any protocol designed for V2G systems must be secure, lightweight, and must protect the privacy of the vehicle owner. Since EVs and charging stations are usually unguarded, physical security is also a must. To tackle these issues, we propose Physical Unclonable Functions (PUF) based Secure User Key-Exchange Authentication (SUKA) protocol for V2G systems. The proposed protocol uses PUFs to achieve a two-step MA between an EV and the Grid Server. It is lightweight, secure, and privacy preserving. SUKA has identity protection, privacy protection, message integrity, and location security. Simulations show that SUKA performs better and provides more security features than state-of-the-art V2G protocols. Using a formal security model and analysis, we have shown that our protocol is secure.

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed several limitations of existing healthcare systems. Thus, there is a surge in healthcare innovation and new business models using computer-mediated virtual environments to provide an alternative healthcare system. Today, digital transformation is not limited to virtual communication alone but encompasses digitalizing the network of social connections in the healthcare industry using metaverse technology. The metaverse is a universal and immersive virtual world facilitated by virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). This paper presents the first effort to offer a comprehensive survey that examines the latest metaverse developments in the healthcare industry, which covers seven domains: telemedicine, clinical care, education, mental health, physical fitness, veterinary, and pharmaceuticals. We review metaverse applications and deeply discuss technical issues and available solutions in each domain that can help develop a self-sustaining, persistent, and future-proof solution for medical healthcare systems. Finally, we highlight the challenges that must be tackled before fully embracing the metaverse for the healthcare industry.

Recognizing the evolution and profound impact of ChatGPT holds paramount significance for researchers and developers at the forefront of AI innovation. In a rapidly evolving conversational AI landscape, ChatGPT emerges as a pivotal player, capable of reshaping the way we interact with AI systems across a wide array of applications.

Traditional multimedia experiences are undergoing a transformation as Generative AI integration fosters enhanced creative workflows, streamlines content creation processes, and unlocks the potential for entirely new forms of multimedia storytelling. This study delves into the burgeoning field of Generative AI, with a focus on its revolutionary impact on image generation. It explores the background of traditional imaging in consumer electronics and the motivations for integrating AI, leading to enhanced capabilities in various applications. The research critically examines current advancements in state-of-the-art technologies like DALL-E 2, Craiyon, Stable Diffusion, Imagen, Jasper, NightCafe, and Deep AI, assessing their performance on parameters such as image quality, diversity, and efficiency. It also addresses the limitations and ethical challenges posed by this integration, balancing creative autonomy with AI automation. The novelty of this work lies in its comprehensive analysis and comparison of these AI systems, providing insightful results that highlight both their strengths and areas for improvement.