Conventional PLS techniques concentrate on passive eavesdropping [31], which aims to stop eavesdroppers from using the physical layer's unpredictability to intercept communications. In this situation, methods like beamforming and artificial noise are employed to guarantee that the data being sent stay private even if an opponent is in the signal's range. However, in addition to passive eavesdropping, more recent research has introduced the concept of proactive eavesdropping [32], which involves adversaries actively engaging in network surveillance to intentionally intercept and manipulate data. This proactive approach to eavesdropping, as discussed in [32; 33],presents a new challenge for secure communication in wireless networks, including EH-WSNs. Proactive eavesdropping is particularly concerning because the adversaries can anticipate and disrupt communication patterns, creating more sophisticated threats than passive eavesdropping alone. Incorporating proactive eavesdropping into the discussion of PLS is crucial, as it highlights the evolving security challenges that must be addressed to ensure the reliability and security of EH-WSNs. This makes PLS particularly well-suited for EH-WSNs, where energy constraints must be considered alongside security concerns. The relationship between PLS and EH is especially relevant when discussing secure communication in dynamic and energy-constrained environments [34]. In EH-WSNs, energy availability is often unpredictable, with nodes relying on harvested energy from sources like solar power, vibrations, or RF energy. This variability in energy harvesting can lead to sporadic availability of power, making it challenging to maintain continuous and secure communication. In a scenario wherein the energy harvested by a node is insufficient, PLS can help by reducing the amount of energy needed for security operations, as the security is inherently tied to the randomness of the channel rather than relying on energy-consuming cryptographic protocols. When nodes have access to higher levels of harvested energy, they can enhance the strength of the security measures [35] (e.g., increasing power transmission to improve the signal-to-noise ratio or deploying more advanced beamforming techniques). This dynamic approach ensures that security and energy management are balanced effectively. Another critical aspect of the relationship between PLS and EH in wireless networks is the potential for cooperative security strategies [36]. In cooperative networks, multiple nodes collaborate to enhance both energy harvesting and communication security [37]. For example, nodes with abundant energy reserves can assist others by transmitting secure signals or relaying encrypted information, thus ensuring that the network remains both secure and energy-efficient. This cooperation becomes even more effective when combined with PLS, as it allows the nodes to exploit the physical layer's inherent features [38], such as spatial diversity, to provide secure communication even in the presence of eavesdroppers. In such networks, energy harvesting and PLS can work together to form a robust security framework [39], where the security of data transmission is guaranteed through the cooperative efforts of energy-rich nodes, and the energy efficiency of the entire system is ensured by minimizing energy-intensive encryption techniques. By utilizing energy harvesting to balance energy consumption and using PLS to secure communication, EH-WSNs can achieve an optimal mix of security, reliability, and energy sustainability, which is critical for applications in fields like environmental monitoring, healthcare, and disaster recovery, where both energy constraints and security concerns are paramount [40]. The major building blocks of an EH-WSN are shown in Figure 1, which also includes the wide variety of energy sources, power managing policies, and multiple protection levels, ensuring a safe and efficient infrastructure for the network.