A method for performing secure wireless ranging, comprising: receiving, at a first wireless communication device, a first random identifier and a measurement request from a second wireless communication device; generating a second random identifier at the first wireless communication device; deriving a transient key using the first random identifier, the second random identifier, and a pre-shared key, wherein the transient key comprises a first subsection, a second subsection, and a third subsection; generating a first sounding symbol at the first wireless communication device; encrypting the first sounding symbol using the first subsection of the transient key to produce a first protected sounding symbol; transmitting the first protected sounding symbol from the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device; receiving a second protected sounding symbol from the second wireless device at the first wireless communication device; decrypting, by the first wireless communication device, the received second protected sounding symbol; determining, by the first wireless communication device, whether the decrypted second protected sounding symbol matches the second subsection of the transient key; collecting first measurement data at the first wireless communication device; encrypting the first measurement data using the third subsection of the transient key to produce first encrypted measurement data; transmitting the first encrypted measurement data from the first wireless device to the second wireless communication device only when the decrypted second protected sounding symbol matches the second subsection of the transient key; receiving second encrypted measurement data from the second wireless communication device at the first wireless communication device; and determining a separation distance between the first and second wireless communication devices using the first and second encrypted measurement data. receiving, at a first wireless communication device, a first random identifier and a measurement request from a second wireless communication device; generating a second random identifier at the first wireless communication device; deriving a transient key using the first random identifier, the second random identifier, and a pre-shared key, wherein the transient key comprises a first subsection, a second subsection, and a third subsection; generating a first sounding symbol at the first wireless communication device; encrypting the first sounding symbol using the first subsection of the transient key to produce a first protected sounding symbol; transmitting the first protected sounding symbol from the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device; receiving a second protected sounding symbol from the second wireless device at the first wireless communication device; decrypting, by the first wireless communication device, the received second protected sounding symbol; determining, by the first wireless communication device, whether the decrypted second protected sounding symbol matches the second subsection of the transient key; collecting first measurement data at the first wireless communication device; encrypting the first measurement data using the third subsection of the transient key to produce first encrypted measurement data; transmitting the first encrypted measurement data from the first wireless device to the second wireless communication device only when the decrypted second protected sounding symbol matches the second subsection of the transient key; receiving second encrypted measurement data from the second wireless communication device at the first wireless communication device; and determining a separation distance between the first and second wireless communication devices using the first and second encrypted measurement data.