Semantic-Enhanced Risk-Aware Dual-Layer Privacy-Preserving Verifiable Access Control for OT Systems

Abstract

Industrial operational technology systems are becoming more intelligent and interconnected, requiring remote maintenance and multiparty collaboration. While traditional approaches improve efficiency, they introduce risks like data leakage and unauthorized operations. Existing access control schemes struggle with compliance verification and auditing while ensuring privacy. A novel access control scheme was proposed that combines zero-knowledge proof with the publicly verifiable covert security model. The scheme features a dual-layer verification mechanism: a basic layer using zero-knowledge proof to protect identities and permissions during remote maintenance and an enhanced layer for high-risk operations that uses oblivious transfer and digital signatures to detect malicious behavior and generate cheating certificates. Security analysis showed the scheme ensures privacy, access legitimacy, and non-repudiation. Experiments demonstrated the scheme had faster proof generation and verification compared to existing methods with effective malicious behavior detection and accountability.