IoT Security Threats and Blockchain Countermeasures

By: Soo Nee Kee^1,2

¹Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

²International Center for AI and Cyber Security Research and Innovations, Asia University, Taiwan, Email: nee.kee2001.nks@gmail.com

Abstract

Internet of Things (IoT) is rapidly growing and connecting real-world devices and objects to Internet, hence improving digital engagement. With the rapid development of IoT, security threats have become the main concern. Traditional security prevention are not sufficient to protect the IoT as distributed systems constrain heterogeneous IoT networks. Therefore, Software Define Network (SDN) integration with blockchain mechanisms is proposed to handle heterogeneous IoT network security problems. This article will discuss a number of SDN systems used with blockchain.

Keywords: IoT, Blockchain, SDN, Countermeasures

Introduction

Internet of Things (IoT) is a network that connects multiple wireless and wired devices like sensors, computers, and software to the Internet in order to exchange and share data. There are various heterogeneous IoT networks developed to fulfill market requirements. Due to these complex and heterogeneous network infrastructures, many security threats occur, and humans face difficulty detecting them. Thus, Software Define Network (SDN) with Blockchain is purposed to detect various security vulnerabilities.

Security Threats

There are various existing security vulnerabilities/threats in the IoT networks, such as spoofing, MitM attacks, eavesdropping, phishing, and malicious data injection. Spoofing: Illegitimate packets are injected by sending false broadcast messages to make the system vulnerable. Malware: malicious software and apps installed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorised access to a computer. MitM Attack: Attackers secretly intercept and alter the communication between two parties. Eavesdropping: Attackers secretly access data without owner permission. Phishing: Attackers trick the users by sending attractive messages and emails to get the user credentials. [1]

Security Countermeasure

The paper proposed the integration of SDN with blockchain to prevent IoT security attacks. SDN is a network technique that communicates with the underlying infrastructure and directs network traffic via software-based controllers or APIs. SDN enables centralised network management by separating the control plane from the data plane, allowing more flexible and efficient handling of network traffic via software. [2]

Blockchain is a decentralised digital ledger that connects multiple nodes using a hash pointer scheme. Blockchain ensures transparency and security by enabling users to maintain and view the consistent view of the system. [3] By integrating blockchain, IoT networks can leverage decentralized security, ensuring tamper-proof data records and making it more difficult for attackers to control the network.

Existing Framework

Based on the research paper, SDN integration with blockchain is proposed to prevent many security attacks like spoofing, fake node, Dos/DDoS, eavesdropping, reply, fog-based, and sniffing.  Bubble of Trust, a decentralised authentication system is built using Ethereum to create a secure virtual zone and prevent spoofing. Besides, the Ethereum blockchain is used to control user access on IoT devices to avoid eavesdropping. In addition, a blockchain-based distributed SDN architecture, known as DiDistBlocknet, is proposed to prevent flooding attacks, ARP attacks, and fake node and topology attacks, which archive the results better than the existing framework. SDN combines with the Ethereum blockchain to create a decentralised attack detection framework that is utilised in edge devices to monitor traffic, while the blockchain offers distributed attack identification. [1]

Conclusion

In conclusion, the integration of SDN and blockchain offers a robust solution to the security challenges posed by the rapidly evolving IoT. As IoT networks grow increasingly complex and diverse, traditional security measures fall short in addressing vulnerabilities such as spoofing, man-in-the-middle attacks, and DDoS attacks. By combining SDN’s centralized management with Blockchain’s decentralized, tamper-proof architecture, we can significantly enhance the security and resilience of IoT systems.

Reference

1. S. Zaman, M. S. Kaiser, R. T. Khan, and M. Mahmud, “Towards SDN and Blockchain based IoT Countermeasures: A Survey,” Accessed: Oct. 05, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.computer.org/csdl/proceedings-article/sti/2020/09350392/1rgGpee0F8c
2. A. Baskakov, Y. Mironov, A. Bakhtin, A. Volkov, and A. Gorelik, “Development of Modules for Multiple Paths Finding for Software-Defined Network in MiniNet,” Nov. 2023, pp. 20–22. doi: 10.1109/NCS60404.2023.10397517.
3. “Exploring the integration of edge computing and blockchain IoT: Principles, architectures, security, and applications – ScienceDirect.” Accessed: Oct. 04, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1084804524000614
4. Gupta, B. B., & Panigrahi, P. K. (2022). Analysis of the Role of Global Information Management in Advanced Decision Support Systems (DSS) for Sustainable Development. Journal of Global Information Management (JGIM), 31(2), 1-13.
5. Gupta, B. B., & Narayan, S. (2021). A key-based mutual authentication framework for mobile contactless payment system using authentication server. Journal of Organizational and End User Computing (JOEUC), 33(2), 1-16.

Cite As

Kee S.N. (2024) IoT Security Threats and Blockchain Countermeasures, Insights2Techinfo, pp.1

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