Blockchain Enabled IoT Security for Smart Home Network

Abstract

The concern for security and privacy have skyrocketed as IoT devices in smart homes gain popularity. Unauthorized access, data tampering, and cyberattacks are growing threats. Existing centralized security models, which rely on a single structure, are vulnerable to such threats and hence a more advanced strategy is needed. This paper aims to discuss the Blockchain-Enabled Secure IoT Architecture (BESIA) which use Ethereum smart contracts, permits decentralized authentication, and cryptographic hashing to secure the architecture. To increase device communication, MQTT is used as well as TLS v1.2 encryption to enhance data protection. The approach provides access control using a novel Hierarchical Trust Model (HTM) where the device authentication and registration are fully secured using SHA-256 hashing and asymmetric cryptography. By performing security audits via MitM intrusions, ARP spoofing, and MQTT injection attacks, the systems demonstrated a 68% increase in attack resistance and 85 % decrease in unsolicited access tries after the blockchain was integrated. To conclude, this provides a prescription for a self-sustaining and scalable framework which utilizes real-time encryption and automatic attack intervention combined with the distributed ledger technology (DLT) to enhance smart home security in IoT ecosystems.