A trust-aware model based on reliability-based friendly relationship method in IoT networks

Abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT) necessitates secure communication and high availability among objects at the network edge to ensure reliable object-to-object transactions. In the IoT networks, despite resource limitations, especially at the edge of the network, the potential for error is high. Therefore, a mechanism to increase the reliability, lifetime, and stability of the network is necessary. In this paper, we introduce a trust evaluation framework based on a reliability-based friendly relationship method in IoT networks. We present a conceptual trust model that captures the overall performance of the IoT social network based on parameters such as nodes’ communication history experiences. Trust in the IoT network is built upon a harmonious communication environment that aligns with the trustworthiness of each object and its ability to maintain continuous interactions. We propose an empirical Trust Indicator (TI) that captures individual agents’ experiences in IoT groups, considering the results of system executions, current experience values, and timestamps of interactions. Mathematical models are developed to analyze the dynamics of trust, including trust increase through increased reliability and collaborative interactions and trust decay due to non-cooperative interactions and lack of communication. The model parameters in IoT groups through simulation show that in this system based on the level of reliability and its increase or decrease, its direct effect can be evaluated by quantitative measurement of mean time to failure (MTTF), which is a measure of devices trust and the network itself.