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Special Issue on Generative AI for Secure Communications and Networking
Submission Date: 2025-02-15

The rapid evolution of wireless network technology has given rise to 6G networks, set to revolutionize communication and interaction with the digital world. With the promise of ultra-high data rates, extensive coverage, and near-instantaneous response times, 6G networks are expected to support a vast array of applications, from autonomous vehicles and smart cities to advanced virtual reality experiences and remote robotic surgeries. However, as these networks become more integrated into our daily lives and critical infrastructure, the need for secure communications and networking is paramount. In the context of 6G, security goes beyond merely protecting data from unauthorized access, it also involves ensuring the integrity, availability, and reliability of network services. As networks become more complex and dynamic, traditional security measures struggle to keep pace with a rapidly evolving threat landscape, further exacerbated by the emergence of advanced attack techniques like zero-day exploits and adaptive malware. Consequently, there is an urgent need for emerging technologies to further assess and enhance security in communications and networking. 

Recently, Generative AI (GAI) has emerged as a transformative technology with the potential to significantly enhance secure communications and networking. GAI models leverage integrated machine learning algorithms to generate new data, models, and patterns that can enhance communication and networking security through real-time threat detection, anomaly detection in network traffic, vulnerability assessment, and adaptive security protocol generation. By creating synthetic yet realistic scenarios, GAI can simulate and anticipate potential attacks, enabling security professionals to develop and test countermeasures in a controlled environment. By continuously learning from the network's operational data and generating new insights, GAI can identify emerging trends and vulnerabilities, facilitating proactive defense strategies for cybersecurity. Still, security remains a critical issue for GAI in networking; it is susceptible to various attacks that can compromise its effectiveness and service quality. Therefore, while GAI can address network vulnerabilities, its own security must also be strengthened. Recent times have seen a growing focus on these issues, resulting in numerous research initiatives from both academia and industry.  

Again, despite the promising potential of GAI in communication and networking security, several challenges and research gaps must be addressed. Firstly, GAI can generate sophisticated attacks, putting traditional networking security measures under pressure. Secondly, its ability to create high-fidelity content, such as text, images, and videos, complicates authenticity verification. Attackers can exploit this capability to produce realistic misinformation and identities, enabling more insidious phishing and disinformation campaigns, and raising concerns about GAI's trustworthiness. 

Additionally, network users and security professionals must understand GAI operations in 6G communication environments to effectively assess security and respond to potential threats. Given the critical importance of communication and networking security in the 6G era and the significant role that GAI can play, this Special Issue (SI) is dedicated to exploring the theme of "Generative AI for Secure Communications and Networking." We invite researchers, academics, and industry professionals to contribute their latest findings, innovative approaches, and thought-provoking ideas to advance the field of communication and networking security through the application of GAI technologies. 

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: 

    New algorithms and models of GAI for secure communications and networking.
    GAI for intelligent analysis and filtering of communication contents.
    GAI-based communication encryption technologies.
    GAI for designs of network security protocols.
    Innovations and applications of GAI in 6G environment.
    GAI-based strategies for network attacks and defenses.
    Transparency, interpretability, and robustness of GAI-empowered networks.
    GAI trust framework in 6G.
    GAI for cross-network domain security.
    GAI for secure routing intelligence.
    GAI for over-the-air/RAN security.
    Testbeds, proof of concepts and implementations of GAI. 

Submission Guidelines: 

Manuscripts should conform to the standard format as indicated in the “Information for Authors” section of the Paper Submission Guidelines.

All manuscripts to be considered for publication must be submitted by the deadline through the magazine’s IEEE Author Portal submission site. Select ‘September 2025/Generative AI for Secure Communications and Networking’ from the drop-down menu of Special Issues. 

Important Dates: 

Manuscript Submission Deadline: 15 February, 2025 
Initial Decision Date: 15 April, 2025 
Revised Manuscript Due: 15 May, 2025 
Final Decision Date: 15 June, 2025 
Final Manuscript Due: 30 July, 2025 
Publication Date: September 2025 

Guest Editors 

Liehuang Zhu
Beijing Institute of Technology, China 

Dusit Niyato
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 

Rongxing Lu 
University of New Brunswick, Canada 

Xiaojiang Du 
Stevens Institute of Technology, USA 

Fatima Hussain 
Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto, Canada 

Yao Sun 
University of Glasgow, U.K. 

Shen Yan 
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd, China