An Enhanced and Dynamic Key AES Algorithm for Internet of Things Data Security

Abstract

Internet of Things (IoT) applications have become ubiquitous in various aspects of daily life, including smart homes, healthcare, and other areas where human assistance is crucial. However, the valuable real-world data collected by IoT devices and transmitted over the Internet have become a prime target for numerous malicious actors and hackers. Therefore, ensuring secure communication to prevent unauthorized access to this transmitted data is of paramount importance. This research is dedicated to the development of a robust security system for IoT to protect sensor data. Traditionally, IoT systems have relied on fixed encryption keys shared between transmitters and receivers, which presented vulnerabilities as these keys could be easily compromised. In this study, we introduce an enhanced version of the AES algorithm with dynamic keys. In this modified algorithm, each cycle involves the XOR operation of four keywords with the sequence number. Each round of the AES algorithm incorporates various transformations, including DivideSwap, SubBytes, ShiftRows, MixColumns, and AddRoundKey, with the exception of the final round, which excludes the MixColumns operation. To implement and test this upgraded security approach, we utilized hardware components such as the Arduino Uno, ESP8266, and DHT11 sensors. The enhanced AES algorithm was integrated into the Arduino Uno to secure sensor data before transmission across the network. The results of our analysis demonstrate that the proposed IoT security method presents a significantly higher level of cryptographic resilience compared to the traditional AES algorithm, making it a robust solution for safeguarding IoT data.