Blockchain based En-Route Filtering of False Data in Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract

Wireless sensor networks are an easy target for report fabrication attacks, where compromised sensor nodes can be used by an adversary to flood the network with bogus/false reports. En-route filtering is a mechanism where intermediate forwarding nodes identify and drop false reports while they are being forwarded towards the sink. Existing en-route filtering schemes either have high storage overhead or low filtering efficiency. In this article, we propose a blockchain based deterministic en-route filtering scheme, capable of dropping false reports efficiently. Further, the proposed scheme does not require any key exchange between sensor nodes for data endorsement/authentication, thus reducing the associated key storage overhead and communication overhead. Finally, the proposed scheme can also adapt to dynamic networks and mobile sinks making it suitable for modern wireless sensor networks.