Cloud-based IoT Device Authentication Scheme using Blockchain

Abstract

The number of interconnected internet of things (IoT) devices is expected to achieve a fivefold increase over the last decade. This increasing number of IoT devices brings into focus the security challenges of IoT networks. Blockchain (BC) is one of the promising technologies that can be employed for achieving this challenging task. BC is used to store data blocks in the distributed ledger (Database) that is immutable. In this paper, we aim to take the advantages of BC technology in improving the IoT network security. In particular, we propose a security framework for IoT networks to enhance the devices' authentication. The proposed architecture consists of three layers, blockchain layer, authenticator layer and requester layer. The devices' authentication process is divided into two phases: device enrollment phase, and device authentication phase. The proposed framework satisfies the three pillars of security namely, confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Confidentiality is achieved by limiting the access to authorized device only which keep the data hidden from outsiders. Integrity is guaranteed by using BC that maintains the data from being altered. Availability is assured by maintaining the BC database on the cloud.