Security Requirements for Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) Communications Integrated with Blockchain

Abstract

With the advancement of fifth-generation cellular systems (5G) and the already provoked research on the sixth-generation cellular systems (6G), stringent functional requirements are growing to facilitate more reliable vehicular communication systems. The progressive needs of V2X communications include obtaining cooperative sensing data in real-time, then analyze and use them in the decision-making process that greatly enhances driving security, traffic quality, infotainment facilities, etc. However, the traditional V2X communications are not capable of providing all these necessities. Moreover, the lack of trust among heterogeneous, massive sets of participants in V2X networks at present may hamper those activities with frequent privacy violations and other irreversible consequences. Hence, the blockchains are applied to assure the accountability and integrity among network participants. On the other hand, the integrated edge layer today consists of Macro BS (MBSs), Small BS (SBSs), Road Side Units (RSUs), and 5G Radio Access Networks (RANs) which are geo-distributed and installed with independent storage facilities. As a result, revolutionary blockchain platforms can be easily accommodated to 5G Mutiaccess Edge Computing (MEC). This allows to apply fast and efficient consensus mechanism for block verification while preventing backhaul congestion by offloading computation at the cloud. Therefore, efficient New Radio (NR) access technology, core network capabilities, and edge-cloud services are needed to reach the full convergence of V2X networks while blockchain can be used to solve major related security vulnerabilities ranging from data privacy leakage, cyber-attacks, and access control to security breaches leading to extremely advanced data theft. Hence, in this research paper, an attempt was made to discuss some existing blockchain integrated architectures in diverse V2X communications by paving the path to develop more robust security mechanisms with 5G enabling technologies,