AI-based intelligent blockchain for the authentication of the metering system

Abstract

Smart grids, as all other IoT applications, are subject to numerous security challenges because of their component's constrained nature, namely smart meters, which are the weakest link in the network. Although several researchers have tried to solve the authentication issues, they did not provide a complete solution that ensures, at the same time, integrity, availability, and confidentiality of the authentication data and allows the mobility of the smart meters. The new architecture proposed in this article aims to strengthen the authentication process by adding blockchain and artificial intelligence to the current one. The artificial intelligence algorithms implemented in the MDMS server allow the detection of authentication fraud and therefore deny access. Moreover, in addition to storing the authentication data in an immutable ledger, the decentralized nature of the blockchain allows smart meters to connect to any MDMS server belonging to the cluster. The authentication policy is implemented in the smart contract and executed by the blockchain nodes. The other architecture components, namely, the smart meters and the MDMS servers, interact with this smart contract through transactions. The article also introduces the concept of the smart meter reputation, which prevents the authentication of a malicious smart meter. The smart contract used for this purpose is implemented on the remix as Ethereum integrated development environment. The simulation tests have shown the architecture's robustness and resistance against different attacks.