Securing Real-Time Internet-of-Things

Modern embedded and cyber-physical systems are ubiquitous. A large number of critical cyber-physical systems have real-time requirements (e.g., avionics, automobiles, power grids, manufacturing systems, industrial control systems, etc.). Recent developments and new functionality requires real-time embedded devices to be connected to the Internet. This gives rise to the real-time Internet-of-things (RT-IoT) that promises a better user experience through stronger connectivity and efficient use of next-generation embedded devices. However RT- IoT are also increasingly becoming targets for cyber-attacks which is exacerbated by this increased connectivity. This paper gives an introduction to RT-IoT systems, an outlook of current approaches and possible research challenges towards secure RT- IoT frameworks

Massive MIMO for Internet of Things (IoT) Connectivity

Massive MIMO is considered to be one of the key technologies in the emerging 5G systems, but also a concept applicable to other wireless systems. Exploiting the large number of degrees of freedom (DoFs) of massive MIMO essential for achieving high spectral efficiency, high data rates and extreme spatial multiplexing of densely distributed users. On the one hand, the benefits of applying massive MIMO for broadband communication are well known and there has been a large body of research on designing communication schemes to support high rates. On the other hand, using massive MIMO for Internet-of-Things (IoT) is still a developing topic, as IoT connectivity has requirements and constraints that are significantly different from the broadband connections. In this paper we investigate the applicability of massive MIMO to IoT connectivity. Specifically, we treat the two generic types of IoT connections envisioned in 5G: massive machine-type communication (mMTC) and ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC). This paper fills this important gap by identifying the opportunities and challenges in exploiting massive MIMO for IoT connectivity. We provide insights into the trade-offs that emerge when massive MIMO is applied to mMTC or URLLC and present a number of suitable communication schemes. The discussion continues to the questions of network slicing of the wireless resources and the use of massive MIMO to simultaneously support IoT connections with very heterogeneous requirements. The main conclusion is that massive MIMO can bring benefits to the scenarios with IoT connectivity, but it requires tight integration of the physical-layer techniques with the protocol design.Comment: Submitted for publicatio

Internet of Things-aided Smart Grid: Technologies, Architectures, Applications, Prototypes, and Future Research Directions

Traditional power grids are being transformed into Smart Grids (SGs) to address the issues in existing power system due to uni-directional information flow, energy wastage, growing energy demand, reliability and security. SGs offer bi-directional energy flow between service providers and consumers, involving power generation, transmission, distribution and utilization systems. SGs employ various devices for the monitoring, analysis and control of the grid, deployed at power plants, distribution centers and in consumers' premises in a very large number. Hence, an SG requires connectivity, automation and the tracking of such devices. This is achieved with the help of Internet of Things (IoT). IoT helps SG systems to support various network functions throughout the generation, transmission, distribution and consumption of energy by incorporating IoT devices (such as sensors, actuators and smart meters), as well as by providing the connectivity, automation and tracking for such devices. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive survey on IoT-aided SG systems, which includes the existing architectures, applications and prototypes of IoT-aided SG systems. This survey also highlights the open issues, challenges and future research directions for IoT-aided SG systems

Going beyond the user — the challenges of universal connectivity in IoT

The Internet of Things (IoT) approach to interconnected devices has become a significant topic in recent years, and is likely to be a major influence on future networking standards, such as ongoing work on 5G. IoT introduces connectivity to a much wider range of devices than seen previously, which raises a number of challenges, both technical and ethical. This paper explores some of these challenges which IoT faces, as a result of the personal and confidential information which may be transmitted from body-worn sensors, and the inherent challenges of introducing connectivity to standalone devices, rather than to equipment operated by users

Choosing IoT-connectivity? A guiding methodology based on functional characteristics and economic considerations

Along with the growing market of Internet of Things (IoT), the set of IoT-connectivity networks is also continuously expanding. Large-scale deployments of the new low-power wide-area networks and announcements of new technologies prove this trend. Although these new technologies take care of some key IoT-challenges, such as communication cost and power consumption, careful consideration of the IoT-connectivity is still required since there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Typical comparisons of IoT-connectivity networks are based on technical characteristics but remain unpractical when it comes down to comparing functional characteristics. Questions on public network accessibility, ability for private network deployments, and cost considerations related to IoT-connectivity networks often remain unanswered. In this work, a 2-step methodology is proposed to guide IoT-developers in choosing an appropriate connectivity network. First, a questionnaire walkthrough eliminates IoT-connectivity networks based on mismatches between their functional characteristics and the functional requirements of the IoT-applications. In a second step, an evaluation of the main cost components related to IoT-connectivity indicates the most economical solution. As an illustration, we present 2 case studies: (1) deploying smart shipping containers in the port of Antwerp and (2)installing shop'n go parking spaces, which detect vehicle presence via asensor

The Internet of Things: New Interoperability, Management and Security Challenges

The Internet of Things (IoT) brings connectivity to about every objects found in the physical space. It extends connectivity to everyday objects. From connected fridges, cars and cities, the IoT creates opportunities in numerous domains. However, this increase in connectivity creates many prominent challenges. This paper provides a survey of some of the major issues challenging the widespread adoption of the IoT. Particularly, it focuses on the interoperability, management, security and privacy issues in the IoT. It is concluded that there is a need to develop a multifaceted technology approach to IoT security, management, and privacy.Comment: 18 pages, International Journal of Network Security & Its Applications (IJNSA) Vol.8, No.2, March 201