SSHCEth: Secure Smart Home Communications based on Ethereum Blockchain and Smart Contract

Abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT) has grown exponentially over the past decade, but this growth has also raised a number of issues for the ongoing operation of IoT applications, including resource limitations, server overload, and the risk of improper use of private data. To address these challenges, Blockchain technology, which initially powered the crypto-currency Bitcoin, is gaining recognition as a solution that can enhance security and privacy. Blockchain (BC) provides several essential features, such as a consensus approach, peer-to-peer communications, trust without the need for a third party, and transactions controlled by conditions and functions through the use of smart contracts. Thus, BC technology is a suitable candidate for building a decentralized, autonomous Internet of Things system that addresses the issues raised by IoT. In this paper, we propose Secure Smart Home Communications based on the Ethereum BC and Smart Contract as a new design to solve the dilemma between the limited resources of IoT devices and the concerns of a centralized architecture. Quantitative and qualitative evaluations of the architecture under common threat models have highlighted its effectiveness in providing security and privacy for IoT applications.