Yi Yu, Shuai Liu, Yi Huang, C. Y. Chung · 5 authors
With the ongoing development of renewable energy sources, information technologies and physical energy systems are further integrated, which leads to challenges in ensuring the secure and stable operation of renewable energy power systems in the face of potential cyber threats. The strengths of blockchain in cybersecurity make it a promising solution to these challenges. However, existing blockchains are not well-suited for control tasks due to their low real-time performance. Here, we present a consensus mechanism that enables real-time security control of systems, called Proof of Task. Instead of solving meaningless hash puzzles in Proof of Work, Proof of Task addresses problems closely related to the stable operation and control performance of these systems. With the proposed verification mechanism, Proof of Task significantly enhances the real-time performance of blockchain while mines its computational resources for tasks of interest. To demonstrate the effectiveness and necessity of Proof of Task, it is deployed across three renewable energy power systems. The results show that Proof of Task markedly fortifies the security and computing capability of these systems, ensuring their reliable and stable operation. This work highlights the promise of blockchain to facilitate security control and trusted computing of large-scale, complex-dynamic systems. For control systems, blockchain usually exhibits a trade-off between security and real-time performance. Here, authors propose a new mechanism that utilizes multi-party computation and verification with prediction, specifically tailored for real-time security control of renewable energy power systems.
The advent of sixth-generation (6G) technology is poised to revolutionize connectivity, particularly by enhancing the integration of Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) devices. This advancement offers ultra-fast data transmission, low latency, and high mobility but also brings the challenge of ensuring secure and energy-efficient communication. To solve these challenges, this paper introduces a novel hybrid greylag goose-based optimized clustering (HGGOC) algorithm. It merges the efficiency of greylag goose optimization with the precision of the golden sine strategy. The Lévy flight mechanism guides the algorithm to optimize cluster head selection in 6G-enabled IoMT networks. The integration of blockchain technology further strengthens data security and transparency. Simulation results show that HGGOC surpasses existing methods, delivering up to 64% improvement in network stability, a 47% increase in node lifetime, and a 59% boost in energy efficiency and data throughput. These findings position HGGOC as a promising solution for sustainable communication in 6G-enabled IoMT environments.
Aplicações computacionais de bases de dados distribuídas estão sempre presentes na sociedade digital. Uma importante questão é que essas bases de dados sejam seguras, auditáveis, transparentes e escaláveis. Este artigo possui dois objetivos: (i) prover um arcabouço teórico sobre Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLTs) para implementação de bases de dados distribuídas, e (ii) propor um método de seleção do tipo de plataforma DLT para uma organização alvo, denominado Método Ágil de Seleção (MAS). Para tanto, inicialmente realizamos um estudo de trabalhos da literatura e, na sequência, derivamos o MAS. Além disso, demonstramos a aplicabilidade do MAS por meio de um estudo de caso. Por fim, conclusões gerais e trabalhos futuros encerram este artigo.
Ensuring security for highly dynamic peer-to-peer (P2P) networks has always been a challenge, especially for services like online transactions and smart devices. These networks experience high churn rates, making it difficult to maintain appropriate access control. Traditional systems, particularly Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), often fail to meet the needs of a P2P environment. This paper presents a blockchain-based access control framework that uses Ethereum smart contracts to address these challenges. Our framework aims to close the gaps in existing access control systems by providing flexible, transparent, and decentralized security solutions. The proposed framework includes access control contracts (ACC) that manage access based on static and dynamic policies, a Judge Contract (JC) to handle misbehavior, and a Register Contract (RC) to record and manage the interactions between ACCs and JC. The security model combines impact and severity-based threat assessments using the CIA (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability) and STRIDE principles, ensuring responses are tailored to different threat levels. This system not only stabilizes the fundamental issues of peer membership but also offers a scalable solution, particularly valuable in areas such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and Web 3.0 technologies.
This project presents a decentralized educational platform designed to enhance accessibility and transparency in online learning through blockchain technology. The platform operates on a unique model where courses are purchased as NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens), allowing students to own a digital proof of enrollment while enabling educators to receive full compensation without third-party fees. By leveraging blockchain, the system provides secure, direct transactions and transparent records, mitigating common issues such as transaction delays and profit-sharing costs. The platform architecture is centered around user roles: students, educators, and administrators, each having designated functions to ensure seamless interaction. Blockchain development, frontend design, backend integration, and data management are key areas of focus, each managed by a specialized team member. Additionally, features like secure login, user-friendly interfaces, and responsive classroom access contribute to an intuitive and efficient user experience. This research demonstrates the potential of decentralized solutions in education, offering a cost- effective, accessible, and scalable model that aligns with the evolving demands of digital learning. The platform paves the way for future enhancements, including expanded course offerings and AI-driven personalized learning pathways.
Umar Draz, Tariq Ali, Sana Yasin, Mohammad Hijji · 6 authors
Wireless sensor networks deployed in energy-constrained environments face critical challenges relating to sustainability and protection. This paper introduces an innovative blockchain-powered safe energy-swapping protocol that enables sensor nodes to voluntarily and securely trade excess energy, optimizing usage and prolonging lifespan. Unlike traditional centralized management schemes, the proposed approach leverages blockchain technology to generate an open, immutable ledger for transactions, guaranteeing integrity, visibility, and resistance to manipulation. Employing smart contracts and a lightweight Proof-of-Stake consensus mechanism, computational and power costs are minimized, making it suitable for WSNs with limited assets. The system is built using NS-3 to simulate node behavior, energy usage, and network dynamics, while Python manages the blockchain architecture, cryptographic security, and trading algorithms. Sensor nodes checked their power levels and broadcast requests when energy fell under a predefined threshold. Neighboring nodes with surplus power responded with offers, and intelligent contracts facilitated secure exchanges recorded on the blockchain. The Proof-of-Stake-based consensus process ensured efficient and secure validation of transactions without the energy-intensive need for Proof-of-Work schemes. The simulation results indicated that the proposed approach reduces wastage and significantly boosts network resilience by allowing nodes to remain operational longer. A 20% increase in lifespan is observed compared to traditional methods while maintaining low communication overhead and ensuring secure, tamper-proof trading of energy. This solution provides a scalable, safe, and energy-efficient answer for next-generation WSNs, especially in applications like smart cities, precision agriculture, and environmental monitoring, where autonomy of energy is paramount.
Burhan Ul Islam Khan, Asadullah Shah, Khang Wen Goh, Rusnardi Rahmat Putra · 6 authors
This paper presents a pioneering analytical framework for a secure payment system leveraging blockchain technology tailored to regions with suboptimal network connectivity. Contemporary payment mechanisms utilizing Ethereum are predominantly optimized for areas with robust network infrastructure, neglecting regions with less connectivity. To address this gap, the proposed model integrates novel security attributes and employs an analytical method to design a decentralized payment system. The framework facilitates communication between low-connectivity zones and Internet service providers through auxiliary nodes, creating a local blockchain network for residents, merchants, and auditors. A mathematical model quantifies operational costs, transaction processing, and synchronization of auxiliary nodes, ensuring a resilient and secure payment architecture. A unique aspect of the proposed approach is its robustness against auditor outages and network variability, coupled with an empirical analysis of incentive structures for auditors' block validation activities. Moreover, it delineates the minimum requirements for secure transaction completion. Empirical findings showed a significant improvement in system efficiency, including a 79% reduction in block time, a 28% increase in transaction throughput, a 30% decrease in energy consumption, a 68% shorter confirmation time, a 63% reduction in execution time, a 46% increase in block production rate, and 82% reduced network variability. This study's significant contribution lies in introducing a sustainable, cost-effective, and secure payment system for regions with inadequate network services.
Burhan Ul Islam Khan, Khang Wen Goh, Megat F. Zuhairi, Rusnardi Rahmat Putra · 6 authors
Amidst the rising demands for data security across expansive networks, blockchain technology is witnessing an upsurge in its adoption, particularly within Internet of Things (IoT) applications, services, and smart cities. Blockchains offer an immutable property that bolsters security and aids in the structured management of distributed ledgers. Nevertheless, ensuring scalability remains a formidable challenge, especially within decentralized Ethereum systems. Current methods often fall short of offering tangible solutions, and the scrutiny of Ethereum-based cases reveals persistent deficiencies in addressing scalability issues due to inherent system complexities, dependency on resource-intensive consensus algorithms, lack of optimized storage solutions, and challenges in ensuring synchronous transaction validation across a decentralized network. This paper proposes a foundational scheme underpinned by a unique graph-based topology and hash bindings for nodes that join the system. The proposed scheme establishes an innovative indexing mechanism for all transactions and blocks within the IoT framework, ensuring optimal node accessibility. Transaction and block replications occur over the joining nodes' graphical structure, ensuring efficient subsequent retrieval. A standout feature of the proposed scheme is its ability to enable participating nodes to forgo retaining a complete ledger, making it non-reliant on individual node capabilities. Consequently, this facilitates a broader spectrum of nodes to participate in the consensus system, irrespective of their operational prowess. This study also offers a novel empirical model for Proof-of-Validation (PoV), which reduces computational intricacy and expedites the validation process in stark contrast to prevailing blockchain systems.
Abstract Plant diseases are considered as the major bottleneck for the farmers to monitor and diagnosis with the super intelligent methods. With the onset of Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things(IoT), predicting the plant diseases in early stages has given the bright light of hope to farmers for boosting the productivity of agriculture in which increases the country’s economy. But the current advances in the IoT-AI-driven data gathers data from the agricultural fields and integrates the strong communication system for the early prediction and diagnosis process. Though these intelligent drive systems have several advantages, these procedure have been suffering from the varied security challenges which accelerates an outcry for a cognitive systems in the form of data breaches and privacy problems. The protection of patient data remains a significant concern due to the sensitivity and value of healthcare information, especially when transmitted over the Internet. This has heightened the demand for secure systems to safeguard against data breaches and privacy issues. Similarly, in agriculture, security challenges have been addressed using Web 3.0 and Blockchain technologies, which are favored for their immutable and decentralized features. This research proposes an advanced Web 3.0 Ensemble hybrid blockchain framework to enhance authentication security within the agricultural sector. To improve the authentication process further, chaotic maps are used to generate highly dynamic hashes during the creation of genesis blocks, ensuring that all data is securely stored in the recommended approach. The framework was tested on the Ethereum blockchain using Web 3.0, with Python 3.19 as the primary programming language for developing various interfaces. The security strength of the framework was thoroughly assessed using NIST standard tests, and its robustness was compared with other blockchain models. The results demonstrate that the proposed framework provides stronger defenses against various attacks and surpasses varied approaches in terms of complexity and robustness.
The preservation of the vaccine cold chain is crucial in order to ensure the proper preservation of vaccines throughout transport in a controlled environment. Maintaining the vaccine at suitable temperature and humidity levels during transportation will significantly significantly impacts vaccine effectiveness and quality. However, exposure to high temperature or improper conditions will result in vaccine degradation and public health concerns. Moreover, centralized real-time monitoring systems often suffer from issues related to integrity, transparency, availability, and single points of failure. This paper aims to transition data infrastructure from centralized to decentralized to enhance confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA). The proposed system, InoculLedger, employs IOTA and smart contracts to monitor and control environmental parameters, taking into account the vaccine's manufacturing process until the patient receives it. The system ensures transparency at every stage the vaccine undergoes and disseminates this information to all stakeholders, including the patient. The system utilizes IOTA for data infrastructure and employs smart contracts for data management. Additionally, the proposed system uses the Internet of Things (IoT) to monitor environmental parameters in real time.
Ikramullah Khan, Sudip Phuyal, Ricardo Correia, João C. Ferreira
Abstract Healthcare providers face critical challenges in managing and exchanging patient health and medical records. Traditional health and medical data management systems, which often include paper-based records and work as closed, isolated silos, have demonstrated limitations in terms of data usability, interoperability, and patient privacy. This translates into limitations not only for providers but also for the patients, healthcare professionals, and other participants of the health-care value chain, hindering potential innovations and efficiency gains. Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), such as the blockchain, is emerging as a possible solution to challenges in data management and beyond across several operational and administrative processes in healthcare services. This paper begins with an extensive overview of the literature with an emphasis on DLT implementations and applications in the healthcare industry. We examine how DLT has been used in real-world initiatives across the healthcare domain, highlight notable initiatives, and outline potential improvements. This may result from its adoption, namely in areas such as healthcare data sharing and interoperability, verifiability, transparency, or patient privacy and control. Overall, some of DLT’s native capabilities, such as data immutability, sharing and reconciliation across parties with varying levels of trust, and user self-sovereignty may translate into solutions for several caveats of the current healthcare technological infrastructures, and contribute to improving healthcare outcomes by fostering innovations, enabling broader sharing of healthcare data, enhancing transparency over the use of data, equipping patients with greater control over their data, and enabling new or improved services and processes in healthcare.
The rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) has driven significant advancements across sectors such as urbanization, manufacturing, and healthcare, all of which are focused on enhancing quality of life and stimulating the global economy. This survey offers an in-depth analysis of the integration of blockchain technology with IoT, addressing aspects such as architectural alignment, applications, security, limitations, scalability, and latency. Moreover, this survey focuses on security, integration techniques, and future research directions. The primary contributions of this review include a taxonomy of security concerns specific to IoT, an analysis of integration methods, and insights into consensus mechanisms suitable for resource-constrained environments. These findings highlight the unique challenges and opportunities in IoT–blockchain integration, providing a foundation for advancing secure and scalable IoT applications. By exploring consensus mechanisms and resource-constrained deployments, this paper provides a framework for developing secure and efficient IoT applications utilizing blockchain technology and providing a basis for future research and practical applications. In addition, this survey investigates innovative trends, including AI-driven blockchain for IoT.
Chalima Dimitra Nassar Kyriakidou, Iakovos Pittaras, Athanasia Maria Papathanasiou, George Xylomenos · 5 authors
Despite its rapid growth, the Internet of Things (IoT) still faces significant challenges related to interoperability, transparency and security. To address these issues, we propose the utilization of smart contract-based Digital Twins (DTs) "hosted" in the Hyperledger Fabric blockchain network, while leveraging the Web of Things paradigm for interoperability. Thus, our solution includes several notable features, such as decentralization, auditability and security. However, implementing DTs using Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLTs) introduces certain overheads. In this paper, we assess the feasibility and evaluate the performance of smart contract-based DTs using a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Our results demonstrate that, although DLT-induced overheads, such as latency, are present, they remain manageable for IoT use cases.
HealthCare 4.0 stands as a cutting-edge technology that integrates human-sourced data with communication systems to enable highly accurate clinical diagnostics and treatments. While sensor-based devices have simplified many aspects of daily life, these advancements also face significant security challenges, particularly in safeguarding patient information. In response, this research introduces a novel blockchain-based hybrid chaotic encryption and authentication for maintaining EHR transmissions aimed at robust and secure authentication within HealthCare 4.0. The complete framework incorporates the Infura Web API, using Python 3.19. To strengthen authentication security, modified Hippopotamus-evoked scroll maps are used to generate dynamic hashes in the genesis block formation, securing all EHR data in the proposed architecture. This entire framework was evaluated on the Ethereum Blockchain, leveraging Web 3.0, with Python 3.19 serving as the core programming environment for interface development. Security analysis was performed utilizing Burrows-Abadi-Needham (BAN) logic, while the framework's resilience was rigorously tested against NIST standards. Comparative testing highlights the model's superior defense capabilities against various attacks, surpassing other frameworks in complexity and robustness. The findings ultimately provide a comprehensive view of the optimized encryption scheme on blockchain technology and the future pathways for secure authentication frameworks in HealthCare 4.0.
Sujit Biswas, Kashif Sharif, Zohaib Latif, Mohammed J. F. Alenazi · 6 authors
Abstract Smart device manufacturers rely on insights from smart home (SH) data to update their devices, and similarly, service providers use it for predictive maintenance. In terms of data security and privacy, combining distributed federated learning (FL) with blockchain technology is being considered to prevent single point failure and model poising attacks. However, adding blockchain to a FL environment can worsen blockchain's scaling issues and create regular service interruptions at SH. This article presents a scalable Blockchain‐based Privacy‐preserving Federated Learning (BPFL) architecture for an SH ecosystem that integrates blockchain and FL. BPFL can automate SHs' services and distribute machine learning (ML) operations to update IoT manufacturer models and scale service provider services. The architecture uses a local peer as a gateway to connect SHs to the blockchain network and safeguard user data, transactions, and ML operations. Blockchain facilitates ecosystem access management and learning. The Stanford Cars and an IoT dataset have been used as test bed experiments, taking into account the nature of data (i.e. images and numeric). The experiments show that ledger optimisation can boost scalability by 40–60% in BCN by reducing transaction overhead by 60%. Simultaneously, it increases learning capacity by 10% compared to baseline FL techniques.
BACKGROUND: The benefits of smart contracts (SCs) for sustainable health care are a relatively recent topic that has gathered attention given its relationship with trust and the advantages of decentralization, immutability, and traceability introduced in health care. Nevertheless, more studies need to explore the role of SCs in this sector based on the frameworks propounded in the literature that reflect business logic that has been customized, automatized, and prioritized, as well as system trust. This study addressed this lacuna. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of SCs in health care based on reviewing the frameworks propounded in the literature. METHODS: A structured literature review was performed based on the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) principles. One database-Web of Science (WoS)-was selected to avoid bias generated by database differences and data wrangling. A quantitative assessment of the studies based on machine learning and data reduction methodologies was complemented with a qualitative, in-depth, detailed review of the frameworks propounded in the literature. RESULTS: A total of 70 studies, which constituted 18.7% (70/374) of the studies on this subject, met the selection criteria and were analyzed. A multiple correspondence analysis-with 74.44% of the inertia-produced 3 factors describing the advances in the topic. Two of them referred to the leading roles of SCs: (1) health care process enhancement and (2) assurance of patients' privacy protection. The first role included 6 themes, and the second one included 3 themes. The third factor encompassed the technical features that improve system efficiency. The in-depth review of these 3 factors and the identification of stakeholders allowed us to characterize the system trust in health care SCs. We assessed the risk of coverage bias, and good percentages of overlap were obtained-66% (49/74) of PubMed articles were also in WoS, and 88.3% (181/205) of WoS articles also appeared in Scopus. CONCLUSIONS: This comprehensive review allows us to understand the relevance of SCs and the potentiality of their use in patient-centric health care that considers more than technical aspects. It also provides insights for further research based on specific stakeholders, locations, and behaviors.
After the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT), the way devices interact with each other changed, as it allowed automation and seamless communication in various fields. However, various challenges related to security and trust have emerged, hindering the widespread adoption of the IoT. Blockchain technology is considered the ideal solution to face these challenges because of its immutable and decentralized nature. This paper explores the potential of blockchain technology to address critical security and trust challenges within the rapidly growing IoT ecosystem. Through a systematic literature review, this study examines how blockchain’s decentralized, immutable, and transparent features contribute to enhancing security and trust in IoT networks. Key findings indicate that blockchain integration can prevent data manipulation, ensure robust identity management, and facilitate transparent, verifiable transactions, supporting both security and trust in IoT systems. These attributes not only improve IoT security but also promote sustainable practices by optimizing resource efficiency, reducing environmental impact, and enhancing resilience in systems like supply chain management and smart grids. Additionally, this study identifies open research challenges and suggests future directions for optimizing blockchain in IoT environments, focusing on scalability, energy-efficient consensus mechanisms, and efficient data processing.
Ahmad AA Alkhatib, Layla Albdor, Seraj Fayyad, Hussain Ali
The rapid expansion of Internet of Things (IoT) devices underscores the critical importance of robust security protocols, particularly in the realm of children's toys. This study introduces an innovative multi-factor authentication strategy integrating Quick Response (QR) codes with Blockchain technology to fortify the security of IoT toys designed for children. The primary objective is to safeguard young users against potential threats stemming from unauthorized access, thereby ensuring a secure interaction with IoT-enabled toys. By amalgamating authentication factors, including QR codes, the proposed approach establishes a multilayered security framework. Leveraging the inherent immutability and transparency of Blockchain, the system verifies the authenticity of IoT toys by scanning a unique QR code, thus mitigating risks associated with malwares and unauthorized access. The decentralization of Blockchain ensures no single point of failure, enhancing resilience against cyber threats. Extensive usability studies underscore the efficacy and practicality of the advanced multi-factor authentication solution, poised to elevate the safety standards of IoT toys in the digital age. This innovative approach not only bolsters security but also fosters trust among users, enabling seamless and worry-free interaction with IoT-enabled toys for children worldwide.
In the contemporary era, the global proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices exceeds 15 billion, serving functions from wearables to smart grid monitoring. These devices frequently manage sensitive data, underscoring the need for secure and reliable IoT networks leveraging blockchain technology. A key innovation of this study is an approach to mitigate vulnerabilities that quantum computing poses to blockchain-based IoT systems, which existing cryptographic methods cannot effectively address. Quantum computers could exploit these weaknesses to compromise key-pair generation and extract private keys from transaction signatures. To overcome this, the research introduces an optimized implementation of the post-quantum digital signature algorithm Dilithium-5, ensuring blockchain security and quantum readiness. These transaction signatures are designed for low-power, cost-effective microcontrollers, such as the ESP32, making the solution accessible for a wide range of IoT devices. In addition, the study includes a case study involving a post-quantum safe portable device for measuring blood oxygen levels and heart rate, illustrating the practical benefits and effectiveness of the proposed solution in enhancing IoT security against quantum threats. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach ensures quantum-resistant security while maintaining performance efficiency, making it suitable for real-world IoT applications.
The convergence of blockchain technology with Internet of Things (IoT) security frameworks represents a significant advancement in addressing modern cybersecurity challenges. As IoT networks expand to encompass billions of connected devices, traditional centralized security approaches prove increasingly inadequate in managing the scale, complexity, and heterogeneity of these systems. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of blockchain-IoT integration, examining how distributed ledger technology can enhance IoT security through immutable device identity, decentralized architecture, and automated policy enforcement. Through extensive literature review spanning recent research and implementations, we investigate both the transformative potential and significant implementation challenges, including standardization issues, resource constraints, and privacy concerns. The research also explores emerging solutions and future directions, particularly in consensus mechanism optimization, hybrid architectures, and the integration of edge computing. Our findings indicate that while blockchain technology offers promising solutions for critical IoT security requirements, successful implementation demands careful consideration of resource limitations, scalability needs, and standardization efforts.
S M Habibullah, Sahabul Alam, Shivnath Ghosh, Arindam Dey · 5 authors
Blockchain is a decentralized electronic account book that is secure, open, and impervious to manipulation, and records transactions across numerous computers. Internet of Things (IoT) deployed sensors are limited in bandwidth, processing power, and battery life. Energy efficiency is a vital factor and a decisive matter for energy-bound IoT-based networks. This paper provides an idea of the working principle of blockchain technology in IoT-enabled energy systems. It investigates the fundamentals of blockchain technology, clarifying its decentralized nature, cryptographic mechanisms, and consensus algorithms that ensure data immutability and transparency. It explores how blockchain technology can be integrated with various IoT fields for energy efficiency. The paper investigates the blockchain-based energy consumption approaches in IoT qualitatively, and quantitatively with future research directions and challenges. It is seen that the hybrid blockchain model is suitable for energy efficiency in IoT.
As unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology expands into diverse applications, the demand for enhanced performance intensifies. Blockchain sharding technology offers promising avenues for improving data processing capabilities and security in drone networks. However, the inherent mobility of UAVs and their dynamic operational environment pose significant challenges to conventional sharding techniques, often resulting in communication latencies and data synchronization delays that compromise efficiency. This study presents a novel blockchain-based adaptive sharding framework specifically designed for UAV ecosystems. Our research extends beyond improving data transmission rates to encompass an enhanced Asynchronous Advantage Actor-Critic algorithm, tailored to address long-term optimization objectives in aerial networks. The proposed optimizations focus on dual objectives: enhancing data security while concurrently accelerating processing speeds. By addressing the limitations of traditional approaches, this work aims to facilitate seamless communication and foster innovation in UAV networks. The adaptive sharding framework, coupled with the refined A3C algorithm, presents a comprehensive solution to the unique challenges faced by mobile aerial systems in blockchain implementation.
Aleika Lwiza Alves Fonsêca, Ingridy M. P. Barbalho, Felipe Fernandes, Ernano Arrais Júnior · 14 authors
(1) Background: With the increasing digitalization of healthcare systems, data security and privacy have become crucial issues. In parallel, blockchain technology has gradually proven to be an innovative solution to address this challenge, as its ability to provide an immutable and secure record of transactions offers significant promise for healthcare information management. This systematic review aims to explore the applications of blockchain in health information systems, highlighting its advantages and challenges. (2) Methods: The publications chosen to compose this review were collected from six databases, resulting in the initial identification of 4864 studies. Of these, 73 were selected for in-depth analysis. (3) Results: The main results show that blockchain has been used mainly in electronic health records (63%). Furthermore, it was used in the Internet of Medical Things (8.2%) and for data sharing during the COVID-19 pandemic (6.8%). As advantages, greater security, privacy, and data integrity were identified, while the challenges point to the need for standardization and regulatory issues. (4) Conclusions: Despite the difficulties encountered, blockchain has significant potential to improve healthcare data management. However, more research and continued collaboration between those involved are needed to maximize its benefits.
Linchao Zhang, Lei Hang, Keke Zu, Yi Wang · 5 authors
As smart cities rapidly evolve, the Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) network faces significant challenges in data security and communication efficiency. This paper introduces an innovative algorithm based on a reputation mechanism, named the Dynamic Vehicle Reputation Consensus (DVRC), which focuses on improving the data security and communication efficiency of vehicular networks using blockchain technology. The DVRC algorithm comprehensively assesses vehicle behaviors and the consensus contribution within the blockchain network, utilizing a reputation scoring system to evaluate the reliability within the network. Furthermore, this study delves into multimodal communication strategies in vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) scenarios. Notably, when vehicles leave the range of basic infrastructure, those with high reputation scores (as determined by the DVRC's reputation values) relay the communication service. Additionally, the introduction of a reputation incentive mechanism and dynamic consensus threshold adjustments aim to improve consensus efficiency and encourage honest behavior. Experimental results demonstrate that the DVRC algorithm significantly improves communication efficiency in blockchain-based vehicular networks, such as increased throughput, reduced latency, and improved network scalability. These advances have substantial theoretical and practical significance for the development of vehicular networks in smart cities.