Holistic Blockchain Approach to Foster Trust, Privacy and Security in IoT Based Ambient Assisted Living Environment

The application of blockchains techniques in the Internet of Things (IoT) is gaining much attention with new solutions proposed in diverse areas of the IoT. Conventionally IoT systems are designed to follow the centralised paradigm where security and privacy control is vested on a 'trusted' third-party. This design leaves the user at the mercy of a sovereign broker and in addition, susceptible to several attacks. The implicit trust and the inferred reliability of centralised systems have been challenged recently following several privacy violations and personal data breaches. Consequently, there is a call for more secure decentralised systems that allows for finer control of user privacy while providing secure communication. Propitiously, the blockchain holds much promise and may provide the necessary framework for the design of a secure IoT system that guarantees fine-grained user privacy in a trustless manner. In this paper, we propose a holistic blockchain-based decentralised model for Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) environment. The nodes in our proposed model utilize smart contracts to define interaction rules while working collaboratively to contribute storage and computing resources. Based on the blockchain technique, our proposed model promotes trustless interaction and enhanced user's privacy through the blockchain-Interplanetary File System (IPFS) alliance. The proposed model also addresses the shortfall of storage constraints exhibited in many IoT systems

Understanding the use of emerging technologies in the agrifood industry: a case study

The research aim is to understand how emerging technologies, and in particular the blockchain, affect business organization in the agrifood industry. In particular, it explores how decentration, distribution and digitalization ledged could be integrated in the precision agriculture in order to allow organizations to share information with stakeholder, to improve relationship with customers, and to develop a network with other firms. After, reviewing the IS literature on emerging technologies in agri-food industry, with peculiar reference to the blockchain technology for precision agriculture, it is analyzed the case of BioLu, a small innovative Italian farm located in Campa- nia Region. Our results shown how emerging technologies support precision ag- riculture through data collection and exploitation for entrepreneur (e.g., decision- making) and consumers (e.g., food traceability), rather than agrifood supply chain

Unlocking the Potential of Blockchain Through Multi-Criteria Decision Making in Platform Selection

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce a methodology that can help organizations choose the best Blockchain platform for their specific business case. With numerous options available, it's important to carefully consider the capabilities of a Blockchain before selecting it. This methodology is intended to provide a structured approach to aid in the decision-making process, taking into account the various characteristics of Blockchain that are needed.   Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework for this paper is based on Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) and ISO/IEC 25010. MCDM is a decision-making technique that considers multiple criteria when making a choice, which is useful for selecting the best Blockchain platform. ISO/IEC 25010 is a standard that provides a framework for evaluating software quality characteristics, which is relevant for evaluating the quality of the Blockchain platform.   Design/Methodology/Approach: The methodology presented in this paper involves a structured approach to selecting the best Blockchain platform for a specific business case. The approach is based on a combination of MCDM and ISO/IEC 25010, and involves several steps. First, the relevant criteria for selecting the Blockchain platform are identified. Next, a weighting system is developed to determine the importance of each criterion. Then, each Blockchain platform is evaluated based on the criteria and weights, and a score is assigned. Finally, the scores are aggregated to determine the best Blockchain platform for the specific business case.   Findings: The main finding of this paper is the methodology for selecting the best Blockchain platform for a specific business case. This methodology can aid organizations in making an informed decision when choosing a Blockchain platform, taking into account the various characteristics of Blockchain that are needed. The paper also highlights the importance of careful consideration when selecting a Blockchain platform, as the wrong choice could have negative consequences.   Research, Practical & Social Implications: The research implications of this paper are significant, as it provides a structured approach for selecting the best Blockchain platform for a specific business case. This methodology can be used across industries and could have a significant impact on the adoption of Blockchain technology. From a practical perspective, this methodology can aid organizations in making informed decisions when selecting a Blockchain platform, which can save time and resources. From a social perspective, the adoption of Blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize business operations and improve transparency and accountability.   Originality/Value: The originality of this paper lies in the development of a methodology for selecting the best Blockchain platform for a specific business case. This methodology is based on a combination of MCDM and ISO/IEC 25010 and is not specific to any one industry. The value of this paper is in providing a structured approach to aid organizations in making an informed decision when selecting a Blockchain platform, taking into account the various characteristics of Blockchain that are needed

The Impact of Denial-of-Service Attack for Bitcoin Miners, Lisk Forgers, and a Mitigation Strategy for Lisk Forgers

Bandwidth depletion Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack can impact the propagation of a mined block in the Bitcoin blockchain network. On Bitcoin Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus several machines try to resolve an expensive cryptographic puzzle faster than anyone else and succeed to mine a valid block. Despite a DoS attack impedes one machine to propagate its mined block allowing it to become valid for most peers, there will be several other peers to resolve the puzzle in time, hence the blockchain will continue to grow. However, from the perspective of the owner of the attacked machine, this can be critical because it will not receive a mining reward. This chapter covers such an attack in the Lisk blockchain that utilizes the Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) consensus mechanism. A mitigation strategy was created based on two tools that I have created allowing a delegate account to be configured in more than one node, allowing to forge a block even when one of its nodes is under DoS attack. Also, the transaction flood DoS attack is explored, and a mitigation strategy was created for a specific sidechain in the Lisk ecosystem. The mitigation strategy identifies spam transactions and rejects them to be included on the Lisk nodes transaction pool, hence they will not be propagated into the blockchain. Towards the end, I evaluated scenarios and mitigation strategies created for each attack demonstrating solutions for several scenarios

Blockchain: A Business Model Innovation Analysis

The adoption of blockchain-based technologies by organisations can bring benefits in terms of firms' profitability, productivity and efficiency, making companies rethink their existing business models. However, as the technology is still developing and the research on the implications of the different types of blockchain networks (i.e. public, private, consortium) is scarce, their role in business model innovation requires closer attention. To address this gap, the paper provides a conceptual insight into the role of blockchain technology in companies with different value configurations by examining the technological conditions that can impact business models and probing the role of technology benefits in driving company value. The analysis contributes to the literature by discussing the business implications of innovative technologies and uncovering their positive and negative consequences for the value creation, delivery and capture activities. Such analysis sheds light on the functions of blockchains that have a differentiating impact on business processes. Also, the paper puts forward managerial implications by discussing the paths of business model innovation using blockchain technologies

Ús de tecnologies per a la traçabilitat al sector tèxtil

La falta de transparència als processos industrials és un tema recurrent actualment. En el sector tèxtil amb els escàndols per falta d'ètica en les fàbriques subcontractades per les grans companyies, aquest tema és encara més important. En aquest treball s'explora com la tecnologia pot ajudar a les empreses del sector tèxtil a encarar la traçabilitat. Amb el gran abast de tecnologies disponibles, s'analitzen les més rellevants per realitzar el seguiment dels productes, amb un focus especial en la tecnologia blockchain per la seves característiques intrínseques que faciliten l'obtenció d'un registre històric de transaccions i productes. Mitjançant un cas d'ús, s'analitza com poder utilitzar cadascuna de les diferents tecnologies a les diferents etapes de la cadena de subministrament

Blockchain and Internet of Things in smart cities and drug supply management: Open issues, opportunities, and future directions

Blockchain-based drug supply management (DSM) requires powerful security and privacy procedures for high-level authentication, interoperability, and medical record sharing. Researchers have shown a surprising interest in Internet of Things (IoT)-based smart cities in recent years. By providing a variety of intelligent applications, such as intelligent transportation, industry 4.0, and smart financing, smart cities (SC) can improve the quality of life for their residents. Blockchain technology (BCT) can allow SC to offer a higher standard of security by keeping track of transactions in an immutable, secure, decentralized, and transparent distributed ledger. The goal of this study is to systematically explore the current state of research surrounding cutting-edge technologies, particularly the deployment of BCT and the IoT in DSM and SC. In this study, the defined keywords “blockchain”, “IoT”, drug supply management”, “healthcare”, and “smart cities” as well as their variations were used to conduct a systematic search of all relevant research articles that were collected from several databases such as Science Direct, JStor, Taylor & Francis, Sage, Emerald insight, IEEE, INFORMS, MDPI, ACM, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The final collection of papers on the use of BCT and IoT in DSM and SC is organized into three categories. The first category contains articles about the development and design of DSM and SC applications that incorporate BCT and IoT, such as new architecture, system designs, frameworks, models, and algorithms. Studies that investigated the use of BCT and IoT in the DSM and SC make up the second category of research. The third category is comprised of review articles regarding the incorporation of BCT and IoT into DSM and SC-based applications. Furthermore, this paper identifies various motives for using BCT and IoT in DSM and SC, as well as open problems and makes recommendations. The current study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by offering a complete review of potential alternatives and finding areas where further research is needed. As a consequence of this, researchers are presented with intriguing potential to further create decentralized DSM and SC apps as a result of a comprehensive discussion of the relevance of BCT and its implementation.© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Edge AI for Internet of Energy: Challenges and Perspectives

The digital landscape of the Internet of Energy (IoE) is on the brink of a revolutionary transformation with the integration of edge Artificial Intelligence (AI). This comprehensive review elucidates the promise and potential that edge AI holds for reshaping the IoE ecosystem. Commencing with a meticulously curated research methodology, the article delves into the myriad of edge AI techniques specifically tailored for IoE. The myriad benefits, spanning from reduced latency and real-time analytics to the pivotal aspects of information security, scalability, and cost-efficiency, underscore the indispensability of edge AI in modern IoE frameworks. As the narrative progresses, readers are acquainted with pragmatic applications and techniques, highlighting on-device computation, secure private inference methods, and the avant-garde paradigms of AI training on the edge. A critical analysis follows, offering a deep dive into the present challenges including security concerns, computational hurdles, and standardization issues. However, as the horizon of technology ever expands, the review culminates in a forward-looking perspective, envisaging the future symbiosis of 5G networks, federated edge AI, deep reinforcement learning, and more, painting a vibrant panorama of what the future beholds. For anyone vested in the domains of IoE and AI, this review offers both a foundation and a visionary lens, bridging the present realities with future possibilities

Post-quantum blockchain for internet of things domain

This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University LondonIn the evolving realm of quantum computing, emerging advancements reveal substantial challenges and threats to existing cryptographic infrastructures, particularly impacting blockchain technologies. These are pivotal for securing the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystems. The traditional blockchain structures, integral to myriad IoT applications, are susceptible to potential quantum computations, emphasizing an urgent need for innovations in post-quantum blockchain solutions to reinforce security in the expansive domain of IoT. This PhD thesis delves into the crucial exploration and meticulous examination of the development and implementation of post-quantum blockchain within the IoT landscape, focusing on the incorporation of advanced post-quantum cryptographic algorithms in Hyperledger Fabric, a forefront blockchain platform renowned for its versatility and robustness. The primary aim is to discern viable post-quantum cryptographic solutions capable of fortifying blockchain systems against impending quantum threats enhancing security and reliability in IoT applications. The research comprehensively evaluates various post-quantum public-key generation and digital signature algorithms, performing detailed analyses of their computational time and memory usage to identify optimal candidates. Furthermore, the thesis proposes an innovative lattice-based digital signature scheme Fast-Fourier Lattice-based Compact Signature over NTRU (Falcon), which leverages the Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) algorithm as a trapdoor sampler to augment its security attributes. The research introduces a post-quantum version of the Hyperledger Fabric blockchain that integrates post-quantum signatures. The system utilizes the Open Quantum Safe (OQS) library, rigorously tested against NIST round 3 candidates for optimal performance. The study highlights the capability to manage IoT data securely on the post-quantum Hyperledger Fabric blockchain through the Message Queue Telemetry Transport (MQTT) protocol. Such a configuration ensures safe data transfer from IoT sensors directly to the blockchain nodes, securing the processing and recording of sensor data within the node ledger. The research addresses the multifaceted challenges of quantum computing advancements and significantly contributes to establishing secure, efficient, and resilient post-quantum blockchain infrastructures tailored explicitly for the IoT domain. These findings are instrumental in elevating the security paradigms of IoT systems against quantum vulnerabilities and catalysing innovations in post-quantum cryptography and blockchain technologies. Furthermore, this thesis introduces strategies for the optimization of performance and scalability of post-quantum blockchain solutions and explores alternative, energy-efficient consensus mechanisms such as the Raft and Stellar Consensus Protocol (SCP), providing sustainable alternatives to the conventional Proof-of-Work (PoW) approach. A critical insight emphasized throughout this thesis is the imperative of synergistic collaboration among academia, industry, and regulatory bodies. This collaboration is pivotal to expedite the adoption and standardization of post-quantum blockchain solutions, fostering the development of interoperable and standardized technologies enriched with robust security and privacy frameworks for end users. In conclusion, this thesis furnishes profound insights and substantial contributions to implementing post-quantum blockchain in the IoT domain. It delineates original contributions to the knowledge and practices in the field, offering practical solutions and advancing the state-of-the-art in post-quantum cryptography and blockchain research, thereby paving the way for a secure and resilient future for interconnected IoT systems

Blockchain for secured IoT and D2D applications over 5G cellular networks : a thesis by publications presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Computer and Electronics Engineering, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand

Author's Declaration: "In accordance with Sensors, SpringerOpen, and IEEE’s copyright policy, this thesis contains the accepted and published version of each manuscript as the final version. Consequently, the content is identical to the published versions."The Internet of things (IoT) is in continuous development with ever-growing popularity. It brings significant benefits through enabling humans and the physical world to interact using various technologies from small sensors to cloud computing. IoT devices and networks are appealing targets of various cyber attacks and can be hampered by malicious intervening attackers if the IoT is not appropriately protected. However, IoT security and privacy remain a major challenge due to characteristics of the IoT, such as heterogeneity, scalability, nature of the data, and operation in open environments. Moreover, many existing cloud-based solutions for IoT security rely on central remote servers over vulnerable Internet connections. The decentralized and distributed nature of blockchain technology has attracted significant attention as a suitable solution to tackle the security and privacy concerns of the IoT and device-to-device (D2D) communication. This thesis explores the possible adoption of blockchain technology to address the security and privacy challenges of the IoT under the 5G cellular system. This thesis makes four novel contributions. First, a Multi-layer Blockchain Security (MBS) model is proposed to protect IoT networks while simplifying the implementation of blockchain technology. The concept of clustering is utilized to facilitate multi-layer architecture deployment and increase scalability. The K-unknown clusters are formed within the IoT network by applying a hybrid Evolutionary Computation Algorithm using Simulated Annealing (SA) and Genetic Algorithms (GA) to structure the overlay nodes. The open-source Hyperledger Fabric (HLF) Blockchain platform is deployed for the proposed model development. Base stations adopt a global blockchain approach to communicate with each other securely. The quantitative arguments demonstrate that the proposed clustering algorithm performs well when compared to the earlier reported methods. The proposed lightweight blockchain model is also better suited to balance network latency and throughput compared to a traditional global blockchain. Next, a model is proposed to integrate IoT systems and blockchain by implementing the permissioned blockchain Hyperledger Fabric. The security of the edge computing devices is provided by employing a local authentication process. A lightweight mutual authentication and authorization solution is proposed to ensure the security of tiny IoT devices within the ecosystem. In addition, the proposed model provides traceability for the data generated by the IoT devices. The performance of the proposed model is validated with practical implementation by measuring performance metrics such as transaction throughput and latency, resource consumption, and network use. The results indicate that the proposed platform with the HLF implementation is promising for the security of resource-constrained IoT devices and is scalable for deployment in various IoT scenarios. Despite the increasing development of blockchain platforms, there is still no comprehensive method for adopting blockchain technology on IoT systems due to the blockchain's limited capability to process substantial transaction requests from a massive number of IoT devices. The Fabric comprises various components such as smart contracts, peers, endorsers, validators, committers, and Orderers. A comprehensive empirical model is proposed that measures HLF's performance and identifies potential performance bottlenecks to better meet blockchain-based IoT applications' requirements. The implementation of HLF on distributed large-scale IoT systems is proposed. The performance of the HLF is evaluated in terms of throughput, latency, network sizes, scalability, and the number of peers serviceable by the platform. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed framework can provide a detailed and real-time performance evaluation of blockchain systems for large-scale IoT applications. The diversity and the sheer increase in the number of connected IoT devices have brought significant concerns about storing and protecting the large IoT data volume. Dependencies of the centralized server solution impose significant trust issues and make it vulnerable to security risks. A layer-based distributed data storage design and implementation of a blockchain-enabled large-scale IoT system is proposed to mitigate these challenges by using the HLF platform for distributed ledger solutions. The need for a centralized server and third-party auditor is eliminated by leveraging HLF peers who perform transaction verification and records audits in a big data system with the help of blockchain technology. The HLF blockchain facilitates storing the lightweight verification tags on the blockchain ledger. In contrast, the actual metadata is stored in the off-chain big data system to reduce the communication overheads and enhance data integrity. Finally, experiments are conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme in terms of throughput, latency, communication, and computation costs. The results indicate the feasibility of the proposed solution to retrieve and store the provenance of large-scale IoT data within the big data ecosystem using the HLF blockchain