Blockchain-based secure data transmission for internet of underwater things

Abstract

Internet of Things (IoTs) is an integrated network collection of heterogeneous objects which enable seamless integration between systems, humans, devices, and various other things, to support pervasive computing for smart systems. IoT-driven systems and sensors continuously ingest data resulting in an increased volume and velocity of information which can lead to critical concerns such as security of the data and scalability of the system. The Internet of Underwater Things (IoUTs) is a specific genre of IoTs in which data related to oceanic ecosystems is continuously sensed through underwater sensors. IoUT has emerged as an innovative paradigm to support smart oceans. However, there are several critical challenges which IoUT system designers must consider such as (1) scalability of the system to handle large volumes of oceanic data and (2) security of data that is transmitted from IoT sensors deployed underwater. Blockchain as a newly emerged technology and an enabling platform allows decentralized and secure transmission of data among a wide group of untrustworthy parties. This research aims to exploit blockchain technology to secure IoUT data transmission by exploiting Interplanetary File System (IPFS) method. Additionally, this study also addresses the system’s scalability in two aspects, (1) scalability, and (2) security. We used a case study-based approach and performed experiments to evaluate the proposed solution’s usability and efficiency in terms of query response (i.e., performance), and algorithmic execution (i.e., efficiency). The proposed solution unifies blockchain technologies to secure IoT-driven systems and provides guidelines to engineer and develop next-generation of robust and secure blockchain-aided distributed IoT systems.