Enhancing MQTT security for internet of things: Lightweight two-way authorization and authentication with advanced security measures

Abstract

The MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) protocol used the pub-sub model for IoT communication. Bolstering security with two-way authentication becomes a critical necessity. This paper presents a novel algorithm that fortifies MQTT with enhanced security measures, utilizing a refined MQTT implementation that integrates with a Merkle tree. HBMQTT Broker increases security as it uses different plugins, like the authentication plugin and the authorization plugin. These plugins serve to add extra layers of protection, reinforcing security protocols and heightening resilience to potential threats. The Merkle tree integration enhances data security during data transmission, effectively distinguishing between authentic and inauthentic data streams. Merkle trees generate tokens, which are used for secure data transmission. The algorithm is tested with four different hacking adversarial attacks: man-in-The-Middle (MITM), malware attack, denial of service (DoS), and phishing attack. Space and time complexity are also calculated for these attacks.