Blockchain Mechanisms as Security-Enabler for Industrial IoT Applications

Abstract

The introduction and enactment of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) have initiated a global revolution. The volume and variety of data that are collected and processed in industries are ever increasing due to the widespread acceptance of modern technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), big data analytics, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, edge computing, and cloud storage. Conventional systems with centralized architecture are not designed to handle the complexity and scale of data that is processed in IIoT operations. Moreover, the threat of security and privacy breaches also increases with the growth of IIoT-connected devices. IoT devices often tend to have poor security defense systems due to low processing power, limited storage capabilities, and poor manufacturing standards. In this context, blockchain technology can help to eliminate the security vulnerabilities faced by the IIoT systems and provides extensive protection from data thefts, cyberattacks, and data corruption. Blockchain with its distributed architecture offers peer-to-peer networking and enables auditable and transparent transactions. This chapter explores the concept of IIoT and its limitations, and the need for deploying blockchain mechanisms in the IIoT paradigm. We further analyze blockchain technology and how it can reinforce IIoT systems. Existing systems of blockchain in the IIoT ecosystems and relevant use cases are also explored. As conventional systems struggle to handle the scale of data operations handled by the IIoT, blockchain has emerged as a viable solution to reinforce and reform existing systems.