Ammad Aslam, Octavian Postolache, Sancho Oliveira, J. M. Dias Pereira
Sharding is an emerging blockchain technology that is used extensively in several fields such as finance, reputation systems, the IoT, and others because of its ability to secure and increase the number of transactions every second. In sharding-based technology, the blockchain is divided into several sub-chains, also known as shards, that enhance the network throughput. This paper aims to examine the impact of integrating sharding-based blockchain network technology in securing IoT sensors, which is further used for environmental monitoring. In this paper, the idea of integrating sharding-based blockchain technology is proposed, along with its advantages and disadvantages, by conducting a systematic literature review of studies based on sharding-based blockchain technology in recent years. Based on the research findings, sharding-based technology is beneficial in securing IoT systems by improving security, access, and transaction rates. The findings also suggest several issues, such as cross-shard transactions, synchronization issues, and the concentration of stakes. With an increased focus on showcasing the important trade-offs, this paper also offers several recommendations for further research on the implementation of blockchain network technology for securing IoT sensors with applications in environment monitoring. These valuable insights are further effective in facilitating informed decisions while integrating sharding-based technology in developing more secure and efficient decentralized networks for internet data centers (IDCs), and monitoring the environment by picking out key points of the data.
Blockchain-enabled Policy Decision Point (PDP) has been a promising solution to the centralization concern in practical deployment of Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC). However, existing blockchain systems cannot support PDP adequately since PDP functionalities introduce extra latency to blockchain’s execution process and limits system throughput. This paper proposes an efficient PDP Blockchain (PDPB) by exploiting a minimum-redundancy execution paradigm. Concretely, we design a novel Echo-Based Execution Conclude (EBEC) mechanism to enable minimum redundancy request evaluation while ensure blockchain safety and liveness. Two optimization techniques, Echo Compacting (EC) and Load Balancing (LB), are proposed to reduce the communication and computation overhead of PDPB and further enhance its performance. We implement a prototype of PDPB and evaluate it on Amazon Web Services (AWS) servers. The results show that PDPB achieves more than 35.6% performance improvement over existing methods.
Nowadays, decentralized models connecting various users and entities have gained prominence across the healthcare, finance, and Supply Chain Domains. Decentralized applications represent a transformational approach to data management and transaction execution, emphasizing security, data integrity, and transparency. At the core of these applications lies the blockchain system. This decentralized architecture supports a framework that guarantees data immutability and ensures network-wide transparency through consensus mechanisms. This work aims to explore the application of a blockchain-based system for managing, storing, and signing consent forms within a decentralized framework. By leveraging smart contracts, the system facilitates the creation, modification, deletion, and storage of documents issued by authorized medical entities. Patients can sign these documents, with every alteration and transaction meticulously tracked and recorded, enhancing privacy and data integrity. In addition to these benefits, a private system with role-based access control restricts access to consent forms, as determined by the medical authority that created the documents. The proposed project of this theses aims to leverage these benefits by implementing a Corda application, a blockchain-based solution designed for managing consent forms within the healthcare ecosystem. This solution will enable healthcare providers, patients, and other stakeholders to securely access, share, and manage sensitive medical data with full confidence in its integrity and privacy. By incorporating decentralized technology, the project seeks to create a system where patient consent is stored immutably on the blockchain, ensuring that no unauthorized modifications can be made. Furthermore, the evaluation and testing section of this work reinforces the access security and permission enforcement mechanisms that are proposed and implemented. Rigorous tests and practical examples demonstrate the system's ability to protect patient data and uphold privacy standards, ensuring that only authorized users can interact with sensitive information.
This paper explores the rethinking of blockchain architecture for the Internet of Things (IoT) to improve data security, integrity, and processing efficiency. An API gateway collects, prepares, and sends data to blockchain nodes for verification when integrating IoT devices with a blockchain network. Accuracy is ensured by updating the distributed ledger with verified data. Within the blockchain, smart contracts automate actions in response to IoT data situations, carrying out tasks automatically and recording results. Large or supplemental data is stored off-chain to preserve efficiency and scalability, while basic transactional data is kept in the distributed ledger. Direct connection between blockchain nodes via a peer-to-peer (P2P) network promotes fault tolerance, consensus, and data consistency. This architecture utilizes the secure and immutable properties of blockchain technology to address common IoT challenges, offering a robust solution for contemporary IoT applications.
Tamai Ramírez-Gordillo, Antonio Maciá-Lillo, Francisco A. Pujol, Nahuel García-D’Urso · 6 authors
The exponential growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) necessitates robust, scalable, and secure identity management solutions to handle the vast number of interconnected devices. Traditional centralized identity systems are increasingly inadequate due to their vulnerabilities, such as single points of failure, scalability issues, and limited user control over data. This study explores a decentralized identity management model leveraging the IOTA Tangle, a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG)-based distributed ledger technology, to address these challenges. By integrating Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs), Verifiable Credentials (VCs), and IOTA-specific technologies like IOTA Identity, IOTA Streams, and IOTA Stronghold, we propose a proof-of-concept framework that enhances security, scalability, and privacy in IoT ecosystems. Our implementation on resource-constrained IoT devices demonstrates the feasibility of this approach, highlighting significant improvements in transaction efficiency, real-time data exchange, and cryptographic key management. Furthermore, this research aligns with Web 3.0 principles, emphasizing decentralization, user autonomy, and data sovereignty. The findings suggest that IOTA-based solutions can effectively advance secure and user-centric identity management in IoT, paving the way for broader applications in various domains, including smart cities and healthcare.
Shoubai Nie, Jingjing Ren, Rui Wu, Pengchong Han · 6 authors
Within the framework of 6G networks, the rapid proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, coupled with their decentralized and heterogeneous characteristics, presents substantial security challenges. Conventional centralized systems face significant challenges in effectively managing the diverse range of IoT devices, and they are inadequate in addressing the requirements for reduced latency and the efficient processing and analysis of large-scale data. To tackle these challenges, this paper introduces a zero-trust access control framework that integrates blockchain technology with inner-product encryption. By using smart contracts for automated access control, a reputation-based trust model for decentralized identity management, and inner-product encryption for fine-grained access control, the framework ensures data security and efficiency. Firstly, smart contracts are employed to automate access control, and software-defined boundaries are defined for different application domains. Secondly, through a trust model based on a consensus algorithm of node reputation values and a registration-based inner-product encryption algorithm supporting fine-grained access control, zero-trust self-sovereign enhanced identity management in the 6G environment of the Internet of Things is achieved. Furthermore, the use of multiple auxiliary chains for storing data across different application domains not only mitigates the risks associated with data expansion but also achieves micro-segmentation, thereby enhancing the efficiency of access control. Finally, empirical evidence demonstrates that, compared with the traditional methods, this paper's scheme improves the encryption efficiency by 14%, reduces the data access latency by 18%, and significantly improves the throughput. This mechanism ensures data security while maintaining system efficiency in environments with large-scale data interactions.
Ahmed Alagha, Maha Kadadha, Rabeb Mizouni, Shakti Singh · 6 authors
This paper addresses the challenges of selecting relay nodes and coordinating among them in UAV-assisted Internet-of-Vehicles (IoV). Recently, UAVs have gained popularity as relay nodes to complement vehicles in IoV networks due to their ability to extend coverage through unbounded movement and superior communication capabilities. The selection of UAV relay nodes in IoV employs mechanisms executed either at centralized servers or decentralized nodes, which have two main limitations: 1) the traceability of the selection mechanism execution and 2) the coordination among the selected UAVs, which is currently offered in a centralized manner and is not coupled with the relay selection. Existing UAV coordination methods often rely on optimization methods, which are not adaptable to different environment complexities, or on centralized deep reinforcement learning, which lacks scalability in multi-UAV settings. Overall, there is a need for a comprehensive framework where relay selection and coordination processes are coupled and executed in a transparent and trusted manner. This work proposes a framework empowered by reinforcement learning and Blockchain for UAV-assisted IoV networks. It consists of three main components: a two-sided UAV relay selection mechanism for UAV-assisted IoV, a decentralized Multi-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning (MDRL) model for efficient and autonomous UAV coordination, and finally, a Blockchain implementation for transparency and traceability in the interactions between vehicles and UAVs. The relay selection considers the two-sided preferences of vehicles and UAVs based on the Quality-of-UAV (QoU) and the Quality-of-Vehicle (QoV). Upon selection of relay UAVs, the coordination between the selected UAVs is enabled through an MDRL model trained to control their mobility and maintain the network coverage and connectivity using Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO). MDRL offers decentralized control and intelligent decision-making for the UAVs to maintain coverage and connectivity over the assigned vehicles. The evaluation results demonstrate that the proposed selection mechanism improves the stability of the selected relays, while MDRL maximizes the coverage and connectivity achieved by the UAVs. Both methods show superior performance compared to several benchmarks.
Yang Yang, Min Lin, Yangfei Lin, Chen Zhang · 5 authors
In the area of agriculture and livestock management, the integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged as a groundbreaking strategy to enhance operational efficiency and advance intelligent process management. However, this sector faces significant challenges, including ambiguity in product origins and limited regulatory oversight of IoT devices. This paper explores the innovative integration of blockchain technology within the agricultural and livestock IoT, highlighting how this convergence significantly enhances operational security and transparency. We provide an in-depth review of the latest applications and advancements of blockchain in these domains, offering a comprehensive analysis of the current state of technology and its implications. Furthermore, this paper discusses the potential future development trajectories in agricultural and livestock IoT, emphasizing blockchain’s role in addressing current challenges and shaping future innovations. The findings suggest that blockchain technology not only improves data security and trustworthiness but also opens new avenues for efficient and transparent management in agriculture and animal husbandry.
The growth of IoT networks necessitates robust and adaptive trust management (TM) systems to ensure secure and reliable interactions between devices. This paper introduces a novel TM framework for IoT devices, leveraging a statistical Markov chain model to calculate dynamic trust scores. Our approach integrates a Multi-Attribute Decision-Making (MADM) methodology to rank devices based on trustworthiness, providing a resource-efficient alternative to machine learning (ML)-based models. In contrast to ML approaches, which often require extensive data and are vulnerable to adversarial attacks, our statistical model provides a resilient and computationally efficient solution suitable for environments with limited data availability. The system architecture combines a Trust Management Server (TMS), an Intrusion Detection System (IDS), and Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) to secure data integrity and enable real-time trust assessment. Performance evaluations confirm the model’s capacity to manage diverse security threats within IoT ecosystems, while future work will focus on enhancing the system’s adaptability to novel threats, such as zero-day attacks, and exploring alternative decision-making models to improve resilience under uncertainty. This TM approach advances IoT network security by offering a scalable, lightweight solution adaptable to varied IoT environments.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have witnessed significant growth in various domains, such as agriculture, disaster management, and remote health management systems. However, the use of UAVs necessitates secure and efficient solutions that uphold privacy during task distribution. To address this challenge, this article introduces a novel architecture for privacy-aware task distribution in UAV communication systems. Our approach leverages the benefits of blockchain and smart token-based identification within the proposed architecture, ensuring decentralized, transparent, and tamper-proof operations. By adopting a crowdsourced task distribution model, our approach further optimizes task assignment among UAVs while prioritizing data privacy, user access control, and scalability. The architecture is designed to enhance fault tolerance, enabling seamless operation under dynamic and unpredictable conditions. We present a comprehensive implementation details of a proof-of-concept prototype of our proposed architecture, detailing its design and functionality. The experimental results demonstrate the feasibility, efficiency, and adaptability of our approach in diverse real-world scenarios, highlighting its potential for broader adoption across UAV applications.
ABSTRACT The rapid advancement of financial technology (FinTech) has led to the integration of advanced technologies like data science, blockchain, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence. However, trust evaluation remains a critical challenge in dynamic landscape. Existing trust evaluation methods often neglect key aspects of timeliness, reliability, and non‐invasiveness, leading to imprecise trust assessments and insufficient detection of malicious user behavior. This paper introduces a robust four‐layer architectural framework with the blockchain layer, edge computing service layer, cloud computing service layer, and terminal user application layer leveraging blockchain technology for authentication and trust evaluation. Blockchain technology transforms FinTech data into linked data, ensuring data security and decentralization during information transfers. A novel hybrid consensus protocol combining Proof of Elapsed Time (PoET) and Proof of Stake (PoS) is introduced to enhance the efficiency and security of the blockchain. Extensive simulation experiments have demonstrated significant improvements in data security, reliability, and accuracy of trust assessments compared to existing methods. This paper presents a comprehensive solution for enhancing trust evaluation in FinTech, emphasizing timeliness, reliability, and non‐invasiveness of assessments.
The food and agriculture sector is a cornerstone of critical infrastructure (CI), underpinning global food security, public health, and economic stability. However, the increasing digitalization and connectivity of operational technologies (OTs) in this sector expose it to significant cybersecurity risks. Blockchain technology (BT) has emerged as a transformative solution for addressing these challenges by enhancing network security, traceability, and system resilience. This study presents a comprehensive review of BT applications in OT security for food and agriculture CI, employing bibliometric and content analysis methods. A total of 124 relevant articles were identified from six databases, including the Web of Science Core Collection and MEDLINE®. Bibliometric analysis was conducted across five dimensions: publication year, literature type, journal distribution, country contributions, and keyword trends. The findings are meticulously organized through tables, charts, and graphs. The year 2018 marked a surge in research within this domain, with the IEEE Internet of Things Journal and IEEE ACESS emerging as the most prolific journals, each boasting nine publications. The United States, China, and India are at the forefront in terms of journal citation counts. Our analysis determined that a reference count of 37 serves as an appropriate threshold. Otoum Safa stands out as the author with the highest number of published articles, totaling four. Keywords such as “blockchain”, “internet of things”, “smart contract”, “security”, and “critical infrastructure” appear with significant frequency. The statistics, trends, and insights gleaned from this bibliometric analysis can guide researchers in the OTCI field to forge a coherent and logical research trajectory. Content analysis further identified six key research areas within this domain: identity authentication and data verification, secure access control, attack detection and perception, data security and protection, data backup and recovery, and attack assessment and attribution. Based on these insights, a general framework is proposed to guide future research and practical applications of BT in securing OT within food and agriculture CI. This study systematically analyzes the current research landscape, challenges, and opportunities for BT in securing the OT critical to food and agriculture CI. By bridging the gap between blockchain innovations and the operational needs of the food and agriculture sector, this work contributes to advancing strategic implementation and improving the security of CI systems.
The integration of Social Media (SM) and the Internet of Things (IoT) is gradually transforming the activities of SM users into valuable data streams that can be analyzed using Machine Learning (ML) algorithms. Federated Learning (FL) has been widely employed to predict user and anomaly behaviors from distributed systems. However, FL encounters substantial security challenges, particularly within the context of SM-integrated IoT systems, known as SM 3.0 systems. These challenges encompass issues of accountability and vulnerabilities that render them susceptible to various cyberattacks, including single-point-of-failure, free-riding, model inversion, and poisoning attacks. We propose a Blockchain-enabled FL with Smart Contracts (SC) (BFL-SC) framework. To coordinate the learning process, track participants’ contributions and reward the participants transparently, an SC-based FL is constructed as an incentive mechanism that combats free-riding attacks and enables automated and auditable rewarding of the participants. Also, to conceal the original data points and mitigate the impact of model inversion attacks, a Differentially Privacy-based Perturbation (DPP) mechanism is proposed. To address potential poisoning attacks, a thorough verification protocol is suggested. The experimental results obtained from two datasets, namely SM 3.0 and Human Activity Recognition (HAR), show that the BFL-SC framework can achieve high utility with a precision of 96.95% over the SM 3.0 dataset and 90.14% over the HAR dataset while adhering to privacy and efficiency standards, compared with compelling techniques.
T Manoj, Krishnamoorthi Makkithaya, V G Narendra, Vijaya Murari T
Agricultural insurance is one of the formal and reliable risk management instruments to cope with agrarian risks. Presently, agricultural insurance products rely heavily on centralized systems that lack transparency and traceability, leading to suboptimal risk assessment and delays in payouts. To address these concerns the fintech industry has started to embrace a popular decentralized technology called blockchain. However, blockchain operates as a deterministic and synchronized state system, which means it cannot directly access real-world data for decentralized applications. A mechanism called oracle is required for the trusted access of agricultural risk factor data to smart contracts from external sources such as Internet of Things (IoT) devices, web services and databases. Hence, the present study proposes a blockchain-based AgriInsureDON framework with a privacy-preserving decentralized oracle for risk factor data access from trusted IoT devices for agricultural insurance. Initially, a method for computing the direct reputation score of IoT devices based on behavioral and data reputation is illustrated. Next, a privacy preserved decentralized oracle mechanism is designed and implemented using a masked secret sharing and secure aggregation scheme. Later, we demonstrate the working of weather-indexed insurance contracts based on decentralized oracle. Finally, a performance analysis of smart contract transactions w.r.t average latency, throughput, average CPU utilization and total memory usage is conducted on Ganache and Sepolia test networks. The evaluation results of privacy-protected decentralized oracle and an indexed insurance contract within AgriInsureDON framework confirms that transactions are efficient and scalable to meet the requirements of expedited claim settlement.
Internal auditing demands innovative and secure solutions in today's business environment, with increasing competitive pressure and frequent occurrences of risky and illegal behaviours. Blockchain along with secure databases like encryption improves internal audit security through immutability and transparency. Hence integrating blockchain with homomorphic encryption and multi-factor authentication improves privacy and mitigates computational overhead. Recently, blockchain applications for internal audits in the enterprise sector are still emerging. Thus, blockchain technology in auditing provides the benefits of enhanced transparency and immutability in data processing, which can establish new solutions for internal auditing but still lacks encryption techniques. The research proposed a framework called "BlockCryptoAudit" to enhance internal audit processes through cryptographic encryption methods and blockchain technology, ensuring secure and transparent audit operations. The proposed approach integrates an additive homomorphic Paillier encryption scheme with blockchain to create a safe and tamper-resident audit trail. Utilizing homomorphic Paillier encryption, BlockCryptoAudit ensures that computations may be performed on encrypted audit data while safeguarding data privacy. The applied blockchain hyperledger component guarantees the immutability and transparency of encrypted audit records, resulting in a decentralized and tamper-resistant record. By limiting data accessibility to authorized individuals based on specified responsibilities, role-based access restrictions handled using smart contracts further strengthen security. The study protects audit data's security and confidentiality by encrypting it and putting it on a blockchain. The study compares the proposed BlockCryptoAudit with models like B-OAP, BSE-DF, and EG-FLB regarding risk mitigation, audit quality, security overhead, and audit trail effectiveness. With little security overhead, BlockCryptoAudit beats out B-OAP, BSE-DF, and EG-FLB in terms of risk mitigation (98%) and audit quality (99%). It is an effective way to improve internal audit processes and guarantee data integrity due to its high performance.
Mohammad A. Altahat, Tariq Daradkeh, Anjali Agarwal
Abstract Efficiently managing virtual resources in the cloud is crucial for successful recourse utilization. Scheduling is a vital technique used to manage Virtual Machines (VMs), enabling placement and migration between hosts located in the same or different data centers. Effective scheduling not only ensures better server consolidation but also enhances hardware utilization and reduces power consumption in data centers. However, scheduling VMs across a Wide Area Network (WAN) poses considerable challenges due to connectivity issues, slower communication speeds, and concerns around data integrity and confidentiality. To enable informed scheduling decisions, it is critical to facilitate the exchange of real-time and accurate status information between cloud data centers, ensuring optimal resource allocation and minimizing latency. To address this, we propose a novel distributed cloud management solution that utilizes blockchain technology to facilitate efficient sharing of VM characteristics across multiple data centers. BigchainDB platform has been used as a blockchain-based ledger database to effectively share information required for VM scheduling and migration across different data centers. The proposed framework has been validated and compared with a Virtual Private Network (VPN)-based centralized management solution. The proposed model utilizing blockchain-based solution achieves 41.79% to 49.85% reduction in number of communication messages and 2% to 12% decrease in total communication delay comparing to the centralized model.
Abstract In 2021, 12 fraudulent cases were identified in the Chinese carbon market. As a critical component of this emerging market, China’s carbon-credit scheme in the automotive sector faces several shortcomings, including informational opacity and operational inefficiency, which affect market functionality and fairness. This study develops an information system that integrates blockchain technology and the Internet of Things to manage a carbon-credit scheme. Specifically, we attached carbon credits to each vehicle with radio frequency identification electronic tags and a chained data structure to ensure the traceability and reliability of information flow. We use the distributed ledger technology and establish five distinct types of smart contracts for decentralized operations to ensure that all procedures of the Chinese carbon-credit scheme are standardized and under public scrutiny. The proposed infrastructure has the potential to significantly enhance the transparency and efficiency of China’s carbon-credit schemes.
Yidan Lai, Yang Liu, Haoxiang Luo, Gang Sun · 8 authors
Blockchain, a groundbreaking technology known for its distributed ledger system, records digital transactions and information in a decentralized manner. Broadcast protocols, fundamental components of computer networks, play a crucial role in disseminating information effectively. Blockchain networks often exhibit lower throughput rates compared to centralized payment systems due to the intricate node verification process during data propagation. Improving blockchain performance requires mitigating transaction and block propagation delays within network dissemination processes. This study delves into the development and significance of blockchain broadcast protocols, exploring their applications within blockchain networks. We introduce various broadcast protocols designed to optimize performance metrics such as energy efficiency, fault tolerance, and consistency. A comprehensive analysis, including detailed comparisons through tables, sheds light on the strengths and weaknesses of these protocols. Lastly, we address potential future challenges and directions for the evolution of broadcast protocols in the blockchain ecosystem.
Nikos Kostopoulos, Yannis C. Stamatiou, Constantinos Halkiopoulos, Hera Antonopoulou
Background: Blockchain technology can transform military operations, increasing security and transparency and gaining efficiency. It addresses many problems related to data security, privacy, communication, and supply chain management. The most researched aspects are its integration with emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, the IoT, application in uncrewed aerial vehicles, and secure communications. Methods: A systematic review of 43 peer-reviewed articles was performed to discover the applications of blockchain in defense. Key areas analyzed include the role of blockchain in securing communications, fostering transparency, promoting real-time data sharing, and using smart contracts for maintenance management. Challenges were assessed, including scalability, interoperability, and integration with the legacy system, alongside possible solutions, such as sharding and optimized consensus mechanisms. Results: In the case of blockchain, great potential benefits were shown in enhancing military operations, including secure communication, immutable record keeping, and real-time integration of data with the IoT and AI. Smart contracts optimized resource allocation and reduced maintenance procedures. However, challenges remain, such as scalability, interoperability, and high energy requirements. Proposed solutions, like sharding and hybrid architecture, show promise to address these issues. Conclusions: Blockchain is set to revolutionize the efficiency and security of the military. Its potential is enormous, but it must overcome scalability, interoperability, and integration issues. Further research and strategic adoption will thus allow blockchain to become one of the cornerstones of future military operations.
B Tejaswini, R Induja, M Navyashree, Amreen Kowsar
This paper explores the convergence of block chain technology with distributed NoSQL databases to address the growing demand for secure and scalable decentralized systems. Block chain ensures tamper- resistant and auditable data records, while NoSQL databases offer high- speed data operation for large- scale operations. By integrating these technologies, the proposed system leverages block chain’s agreement- driven synchronization and NoSQL’s effective storage capabilities to produce a flexible frame. The architecture addresses common challenges analogous as data redundancy, quiescence, and performance backups through innovative optimizations. Practical use cases in disciplines analogous as healthcare, finance, and IoT emphasize the eventuality of this approach. also, the paper outlines a crossbred model featuring cryptographic safeguards and off- chain data operation strategies, paving the way for future advancements in decentralized data systems.
Advanced connection and autonomous features are being made possible by the Internet of Vehicles (IoV), which is causing a revolution in transportation. Strong security measures are required, however, because the prevalence of connected devices also increases the likelihood of cyberattacks and data breaches. This study introduces a new method for protecting IoV networks, which combines Blockchain technology with Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), creating a security architecture with two layers. Internet of Vehicles (IoV) technologies enable autonomous driving and real-time data exchange by connecting vehicles to infrastructure and one another. These advancements make things safer and more efficient, but they also put sensitive information at risk of cyberattacks. Modern security measures are essential since traditional encryption methods are becoming more and more insecure. To provide encryption that is theoretically unbreakable, the suggested system uses QKD to create and distribute cryptographic keys based on principles of quantum mechanics. To improve trust and transparency, blockchain technology is used to record these keys and any subsequent transactions in an immutable, distributed ledger. A hybrid architecture, with QKD securing the key exchange and Blockchain ensuring the integrity and authenticity of the communication, is designed as part of the integration process. Improved security and speed have been shown in simulations and prototype implementations of the QKD-Blockchain architecture in IoV networks. By preventing eavesdropping and key interception, the QKD technique kept the communication channel secure. With an average delay of only about 2 milliseconds, QKD performed admirably and was well below the permitted range for real-time vehicular communications. On average, validation durations for transactions were 5 milliseconds, which was a little overhead due to blockchain integration. The system efficiently handled up to 10,000 transactions per second without affecting security or performance, proving that it can serve massive IoV networks, according to scalability testing. Under high-load scenarios, the framework maintained consistent performance and security, proving its robustness in stress tests. Together, QKD and Blockchain provide a scalable and trustworthy option for future vehicular communication networks, and these results show how feasible and robust it is to use them to protect IoV systems. An intriguing approach to the security issues plaguing IoV systems is the integration of QKD with Blockchain technology. An unparalleled level of protection against cyber threats is provided by the dual-layered system, which guarantees strong encryption and data integrity. This fresh method may lead to improved and more trustworthy IoV networks by establishing new benchmarks for secure vehicular communication. In order to optimize the implementation and tackle any new issues that may arise, more research and development should be conducted.
Innocent B. Ababio, Jan Bieniek, Mohamed Rahouti, Thaier Hayajneh · 7 authors
Optimizing digital twins in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) requires secure and adaptable AI models. The IIoT enables digital twins, virtual replicas of physical assets, to improve real-time decision-making, but challenges remain in trust, data security, and model accuracy. This paper presents a novel framework combining blockchain technology and federated learning (FL) to address these issues. By deploying AI models on edge devices and using FL, data privacy is maintained while enabling collaboration across industrial assets. Blockchain ensures secure data management and transparency, while explainable AI (XAI) enhances interpretability. The framework improves transparency, control, security, privacy, and scalability for self-optimizing digital twins in IIoT. A real-world evaluation demonstrates the framework’s effectiveness in enhancing security, explainability, and optimization, offering improved efficiency and reliability for industrial operations.
Mahmood K. Pathan, J. Rameshkumar, Chintalapudi V. Suresh
The decentralized operation of the power system, which is built entirely on the consensus notion, is one of the most important contemporary subjects in the energy industry. Without the need for a “neutral arbiter, all significant market participants can come to an understanding. Peer-to-peer (P2P) architecture, interface communication, and network security are all discussed in this paper as they pertain to the decentralized nature of the energy market and the paper’s proposed solution: a P2P-based platform. For this reason, it is critical to protect the market player’s communication interfaces from harmful assaults. In this case, a new blockchain platform coinciding with the P2P energy market ensures that the necessary consensus may be reached safely. An efficient algorithm based on the Relaxed Consensus-Innovation (RCI) protocol controls the energy market, with the goal of facilitating power/price trading between participants in a decentralized, peer-to-peer (P2P) setting. Market participants in the proposed model include a microgrid and a smart grid, both of which are assumed to act in their own self-interest while negotiating with one another in a safe setting. Microgrids use wind turbines, solar panels, tidal turbines, and battery storage units, whereas the smart grid uses distributed generators (DGs) and transmission lines modelled after the IEEE 24-bus test system. In the peer-to-peer energy market, a stochastic framework that is based on unscented transform (UT) has been developed to deal with the uncertainty effects caused by the circumstance. For gauging and validating the fault-tolerant system’s resistance to cyber-attack, we model and apply the fault data injection attack (FDIA) on the blockchain-based P2P energy market”. Simulation results validate the paper’s ideas.
The rapid proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) networks has significantly advanced various sectors such as smart cities, healthcare, and industrial automation, but it has also introduced substantial security challenges. Protecting data integrity, confidentiality, and availability in these networks is critical, yet traditional security measures often fall short due to the decentralized and resource-constrained nature of IoT devices. The Low-Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy (LEACH) protocol, designed to optimize energy consumption in sensor networks, lacks intrinsic security features. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a novel approach that integrates LEACH with Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), specifically blockchain. Blockchain’s decentralized and immutable ledger can enhance data security and integrity within IoT networks. The methodology involves modifying LEACH to incorporate blockchain for secure data transmission. In the clustering phase, LEACH forms clusters and designates a cluster head (CH) for data aggregation and transmission. Each CH maintains a local blockchain to log and verify data transactions within its cluster, using a consensus mechanism to ensure data integrity. Smart contracts are implemented to automate security policies and detect anomalies, while data encryption and digital signatures provide additional security layers. Simulations using the NS-3 simulator showed promising results: energy consumption was reduced by 18% compared to traditional LEACH, latency increased by 5% due to blockchain processing overhead, throughput improved by 12%, and security metrics indicated a 25% improvement in data integrity and a 30% reduction in successful attack attempts. In conclusion, integrating the LEACH algorithm with blockchain significantly enhances the security and efficiency of IoT networks. This approach leverages the energy optimization of LEACH and the robust security framework of blockchain, offering a scalable and secure solution for diverse IoT applications. Future research will focus on optimizing blockchain operations to reduce latency further and exploring the model's applicability in various IoT scenarios.