InterPlanetary File System Research Articles

Security-enhanced firmware management scheme for smart home IoT devices using distributed ledger technologies

With the increase of IoT devices generating large amounts of user-sensitive data, improper firmware harms users’ security and privacy. Latest home appliances are integrated with features to assure compatibility with smart home IoT. However, applying complex security mechanisms to IoT is limited by device hardware capabilities, making them vulnerable to attacks. Such attacks have recently become frequent. To address this issue, we developed a secure verification mechanism for firmware released by the device’s manufacturer. We proposed an IoT gateway for secure firmware verification and updating for smart home IoT devices utilizing the IOTA MAM (Masked Authenticated Messaging) protocol and a distributed file system with IPFS (Inter-Planetary File System) protocol. These two communication protocols ensure decentralized communication and firmware file distribution between the IoT device vendor and the IoT end device. The proposed scheme securely shares latest firmware content over IOTA and IPFS networks, performs a secure firmware update on IoT end devices and ensures authenticity and integrity of the firmware. Two types of validation methods were proposed for firmware updating and validation. We implemented the proposed scheme using three entities, Vendor, IoT gateway, and IoT end device. Our system yielded promising results in performing secure automated firmware updates on IoT end devices with very low computational power. The system’s functionality was implemented using IOTA’s MAM run on Raspberry Pi as an IoT gateway along with an ESP8266 Wi-Fi microcontroller, demonstrating the effectiveness of our approach. Our proposed methodology can be used for secure firmware distribution on home IoT applications.

Blockchain-Enabled Transfer Learning for Vulnerability Detection and Mitigation in Maritime Logistics

Abstract With the increasing demand for efficient maritime logistic management, industries are striving to develop automation software. However, collecting data for analytics from diverse sources like shipping routes, weather conditions, historical incidents, and cargo specifications has become a challenging task in the distribution environment. This challenge gives rise to the possibility of faulty products and traditional testing techniques fall short of achieving optimal performance. To address this issue, we propose a novel decentralised software system based on Transfer Learning and blockchain technology named as BETL (Blockchain -Enabled Transfer Learning). Our proposed system aims to automatically detect and prevent vulnerabilities in maritime operational data by harnessing the power of transfer learning and smart contract-driven blockchain. The vulnerability detection process is automated and does not rely on manually written rules. We introduce a non-vulnerability score range map for the effective classification of operational factors. Additionally, to ensure efficient storage over the blockchain, we integrate an InterPlanetary File System (IPFS). To demonstrate the effectiveness of transfer learning and blockchain integration for secure logistic management, we conduct a testbed-based experiment. The results show that this approach can achieve high precision (98.00%), detection rate (98.98%), accuracy (97.90%), and F-score (98.98), which highlights its benefits in enhancing the safety and reliability of maritime logistics processes. Additionally, the computational time of BETL (the proposed approach) was improved by 18.9% compared to standard transfer learning.

Data privacy protection model based on blockchain in mobile edge computing

AbstractMobile edge computing (MEC) technology is widely used for real‐time and bandwidth‐intensive services, but its underlying heterogeneous architecture may lead to a variety of security and privacy issues. Blockchain provides novel solutions for data security and privacy protection in MEC. However, the scalability of traditional blockchain is difficult to meet the requirements of real‐time data processing, and the consensus mechanism is not suitable for resource‐constrained devices. Moreover, the access control of MEC data needs to be further improved. Given the above problems, a data privacy protection model based on sharding blockchain and access control is designed in this paper. First, a privacy‐preserving platform based on a sharding blockchain is designed. Reputation calculation and improved Proof‐of‐Work (PoW) consensus mechanism are proposed to accommodate resource‐constrained edge devices. The incentive mechanism with rewards and punishments is designed to constrain node behavior. A reward allocation algorithm is proposed to encourage nodes to actively contribute to obtaining more rewards. Second, an access control strategy using ciphertext policy attribute‐based encryption (CP‐ABE) and RSA is designed. A smart contract is deployed to implement the automatic access control function. The InterPlanetary File System is introduced to alleviate the blockchain storage burden. Finally, we analyze the security of the proposed privacy protection model and statistics of the GAS consumed by the access control policy. The experimental results show that the proposed data privacy protection model achieves fine‐grained control of access rights, and has higher throughput and security than traditional blockchain.

A Non-Fungible Token and Blockchain-Based Cotton Lint Traceability Solution

As a critical raw material for the textile industry, cotton lint provides various types of cotton yarns, fabrics and finished products. However, due to the complexity of the supply chain and its many links, information records are often missing, inaccurate or lagging, resulting in low transparency and traceability. In the traditional cotton lint supply chain, the data of each link are stored in isolation; due to the lack of an effective sharing mechanism and the formation of “information silos”, complete traceability is challenging to achieve. In addition, the completeness and authenticity of documents such as lint quality reports and certificates of origin must be rapidly strengthened. Otherwise, quality problems may arise. To solve the above problems, this study proposes a cotton lint supply chain traceability system based on blockchain and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), covering the whole cotton lint production process from harvesting to selling. We use an NFT as an asset token to digitise seed cotton, cotton lint and quality inspection reports and allow participants to store and manage these assets on the blockchain. The system design includes architecture diagrams, sequence diagrams and Ethernet smart contract development based on the ERC721 standard. In addition, the integration of Interplanetary File System (IPFS) technology solves the problem of storing large files on the chain and ensures that the data are permanently preserved and cannot be tampered with. We provide a diagram of the interactions between the system components and the four core algorithms’ design, testing and verification process. We present an in-depth analysis of the solution regarding the transaction costs and smart contract security. We confirm the solution’s security, reliability and applicability through a cost evaluation and security analysis.

A secure and efficient electronic medical record data sharing scheme based on blockchain and proxy re-encryption

With the rapid development of the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) and the increasing concern for personal health, sharing Electronic Medical Record (EMR) data is widely recognized as a crucial method for enhancing the quality of care and reducing healthcare expenses. EMRs are often shared to ensure accurate diagnosis, predict prognosis, and provide health advice. However, the process of sharing EMRs always raises significant concerns about potential security issues and breaches of privacy. Previous research has demonstrated that centralized cloud-based EMR systems are at high risk, e.g., single points of failure, denial of service (DoS) attacks, and insider attacks. With this motivation, we propose an EMR sharing scheme based on a consortium blockchain that is designed to prioritize both security and privacy. The interplanetary file system (IPFS) is used to store the encrypted EMR while the returned hash addresses are recorded on the blockchain. Then, the user can authorize other users to decrypt the EMR ciphertext via the proxy re-encryption algorithm, ensuring that only authorized personnel may access the files. Moreover, the scheme attains personalized access control and guarantees privacy protection by employing attribute-based access control. The safety analysis shows that the designed scheme meets the expected design goals. Security analysis and performance evaluation show that the scheme outperforms the comparison schemes in terms of computation and communication costs.

Enhancing Industrial IoT Network Security through Blockchain Integration

In the rapidly evolving landscape of industrial ecosystems, Industrial IoT networks face increasing security challenges. Traditional security methods often struggle to protect these networks adequately, posing risks to data integrity, confidentiality, and access control. Our research introduces a methodology that leverages blockchain technology to enhance the security and trustworthiness of IoT networks. This approach starts with sensor nodes collecting and compressing data, followed by encryption using the ChaCha20-Poly1305 algorithm and transmission to local aggregators. A crucial element of our system is the private blockchain gateway, which processes and classifies data based on confidentiality levels, determining their storage in cloud servers or the Interplanetary File System for enhanced security. The system’s integrity and authenticity are further reinforced through the proof of authority consensus mechanism. This system employs Zero Knowledge Proof challenges for device authorization, optimizing data retrieval while maintaining a delicate balance between security and accessibility. Our methodology contributes to mitigating vulnerabilities in Industrial IoT networks and is part of a broader effort to advance the security and operational efficiency of these systems. It reflects an understanding of the diverse and evolving challenges in IoT security, emphasizing the need for continuous innovation and adaptation in this dynamic field.

Enhancing Security and Flexibility in the Industrial Internet of Things: Blockchain-Based Data Sharing and Privacy Protection

To address the complexities, inflexibility, and security concerns in traditional data sharing models of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), we propose a blockchain-based data sharing and privacy protection (BBDSPP) scheme for IIoT. Initially, we characterize and assign values to attributes, and employ a weighted threshold secret sharing scheme to refine the data sharing approach. This enables flexible combinations of permissions, ensuring the adaptability of data sharing. Subsequently, based on non-interactive zero-knowledge proof technology, we design a lightweight identity proof protocol using attribute values. This protocol pre-verifies the identity of data accessors, ensuring that only legitimate terminal members can access data within the system, while also protecting the privacy of the members. Finally, we utilize the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) to store encrypted shared resources, effectively addressing the issue of low storage efficiency in traditional blockchain systems. Theoretical analysis and testing of the computational overhead of our scheme demonstrate that, while ensuring performance, our scheme has the smallest total computational load compared to the other five schemes. Experimental results indicate that our scheme effectively addresses the shortcomings of existing solutions in areas such as identity authentication, privacy protection, and flexible combination of permissions, demonstrating a good performance and strong feasibility.

Secure Sharing of Electronic Medical Records Based on Blockchain

As network technology advances and more people use devices, data storage has become a significant challenge due to the explosive growth of information and the threat of data leaks. In traditional medical institutions, most medical data is stored centrally through cloud computing technology in the institution’s data center. This centralized storage method has many security risks, and once the central server is attacked, it will lead to the loss of medical data, which will lead to the leakage of patients’ private data. At the same time, electronic medical records are the most critical data in the current medical field. In the traditional centralized healthcare service system (HSS), there are data leakage problems and tampering with electronic medical records due to human factors. At the same time, each hospital is built independently, resulting in the current centralized healthcare service system having a data silo problem, making it difficult to share medical data between institutions securely. With the increase in the number of users in the system, the electronic medical record data in the system also increases gradually, resulting in the increasing overhead of decryption calculation. Therefore, this paper proposes a blockchain-based access control scheme with multiparty authorization to ensure the security of electronic medical records. The scheme uses an SM encryption algorithm to encrypt the medical data in the system. It adds the patient’s signature to ensure the confidentiality and security of the data, and the encrypted electronic medical records (EMRs) are stored in the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) to realize the distributed storage of EMR. In addition, role-based multiauthorization access control is implemented through smart contract-based to ensure the security of EMR. We have analyzed the security of this paper’s solution and compared its performance with the existing schemes based on other cryptographic algorithms. The experimental results show that the proposed solution significantly improves the secure sharing of EMR and provides system performance.

A study of a blockchain-based judicial evidence preservation scheme

To address the challenges of low credibility, difficult data sharing, and regulatory supervision issues involving electronic evidence storage in the judicial preservation process, this paper proposes a blockchain-based judicial evidence preservation scheme. The scheme utilizes the characteristics of blockchain’s immutability to achieve credible forensics of electronic evidence on the chain and employs the decentralized storage of the interplanetary file system for secure and efficient off-chain storage. Simultaneously, it resolves the problem of declining throughput due to limited block capacity. Additionally, it leverages smart contract technology to encompass major aspects of the judicial process, including user case registration, authority management, judicial evidence uploading and downloading, case data sharing, partial disclosure of case information, and regulatory review. Simulation experiments demonstrate that the scheme significantly improves throughput and stability. Performance tests indicate that the transfer speed of the interplanetary file system can meet the data-sharing needs of judicial organizations.

Secure Digital Signature Using Block Chain Technology

The lack of authentication and ant forge mechanisms severely compromises the security details of the authorizations issuing the certification. We employ blockchain technology to verify people in a way that is akin to a digital signature with their identity and access authorization, so resolving the issue of certificate forgery. Blockchain technology is an open distributed ledger that ensures that every transaction cannot be altered and holds unquestionable information in a highly secure and encrypted manner. A high standard for the procedure that may guarantee that the data in such a certificate is authentic indicates that the document is authentic and has not been forged, having come from a reliable source. The interplanetary file system uses the content address as the only means of uniquely identifying every file inside a global namespace that includes all computing devices. A bi-dimensional barcode that provides data as black and white dots is called a Quick Response (QR) code. The system consists of black squares that can be photographed by a camera or other image device, arranged in a square framework on a white background.

Energy optimization with authentication and cost effective storage in the wireless sensor IoTs using blockchain

AbstractIn this paper, a hybrid blockchain‐based authentication scheme is proposed that provides the mechanism to authenticate the randomly distributed sensor IoTs. These nodes are divided into three types: ordinary nodes, cluster heads and sink nodes. For authentication of these nodes in a Wireless Sensor IoTs (WSIoTs), a hybrid blockchain model is introduced. It consists of both private and public blockchains, which are used to authenticate ordinary nodes and cluster heads, respectively. Moreover, to handle the issue of cluster head failure due to inefficient energy consumption, Improved Heterogeneous Gateway‐based Energy‐Aware Multi‐hop Routing (I‐HMGEAR) protocol is proposed in combination with blockchain. It provides a mechanism to efficiently use the overall energy of the network. Besides, the processed data of subnetworks is stored on blockchain that causes the issue of increased monetary cost. To solve this issue, an external platform known as InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) is used, which distributively stores the data on different devices. The simulation results show that our proposed model outperforms existing clustering scheme in terms of network lifetime and data storage cost of the WSIoTs. Our proposed scheme increases the lifetime of the network as compared to existing trust management model, intrusion prevention and multi WSN authentication schemes by 17.5%, 24.2% and 19.6%, respectively.

Symmetry in Blockchain-Powered Secure Decentralized Data Storage: Mitigating Risks and Ensuring Confidentiality

In today’s digital landscape, the exponential growth of data heightens security risks associated with traditional centralized storage systems. Utilizing blockchain technology, a shift towards decentralized data storage provides a more secure and private alternative. Central to our work is the exploration of symmetry in data management, a concept woven into the fabric of our proposed solution to challenge the inherency in InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) technology. Through the strategic utilization of smart contract-invoked random functions, our blockchain-based solution fragments and securely stores data in order to ensure a symmetrical balance between confidentiality and integrity. Our research endeavors are to contribute a robust, ethically grounded data storage framework fostering advancements in secure data sharing. The implications of this paper are significant in addressing contemporary challenges of data management within the expansive realm of big data.

Promoting Scientific Research: rNFT and DeSci Conjunction

NFTs are non-fungible tokens. Like cryptocurrencies, they appeared as a result of the formation of the blockchain. True, unlike, say, Bitcoin, each NFT is unique and has its own value. If one conventional cryptocurrency unit does not differ in any way from another similar one (for example, one Ethereum does not differ in any way from another and is completely interchangeable without loss of value), then the situation is different with NFT. Tokens are used to secure rights to a unique object, such as a digitized work of art or artifacts in video games. Tokens are stored in the blockchain and contain the address of the object. To store the metadata and media to which the tokens are assigned, the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) file system distributed over many computers is most often used. Farcana has suggested applying the same principle to scientific research. By introducing the MetaDeSci, Farcana has created a space where the gamers, gaming platforms, investors, scientists and universities are capable of using the rNFT to finance research, share data and promote science altogether, maintaining transparency.

Access control and data sharing mechanism in decentralized cloud using blockchain technology

<p class="abstract">Access control is the most vital aspect of cloud data storage security. Traditional techniques for data distribution as well as access control face noteworthy challenges in the arena of research as a result of extensive abuse and privacy data breaches. The blockchain concept provides security by verifying users by multiple encryption technologies. Collaboration in the cloud improves management but compromises privacy. Consequently, we created an efficient access management and data exchange system for a blockchain-based decentralized cloud. On the basis of an ID and password, the data user (DU) submits a registering request to the data owner (DO). The DO data is incorporated into a transactional blockchain by an encoded master key. The data owner (DO) provides data encryption, and encrypted files are still published to the Interplanetary File System (IPFS). The DO generates ciphertext metadata, which is then published to the transactional blockchain utilizing a secure file location and a secure key. The projected access control and data sharing solution performed better in a decentralized blockchain based cloud, as measured by metrics such as a reduced illegitimate user rate of 5%, and a size blockchain of is 100 and 200, respectively.<strong><em></em></strong></p>

Blockchain based transparent and reliable framework for wheat crop supply chain.

The wheat crop that fulfills 35% of human food demand is facing several problems due to a lack of transparency, security, reliability, and traceability in the existing agriculture supply chain. Many systems have been developed for the agriculture supply chain to overcome such issues, however, monopolistic centralized control is the biggest hurdle to realizing the use of such systems. It has eventually gained consumers' trust in branded products and rejected other products due to the lack of traceable supply chain information. This study proposes a blockchain-based framework for supply chain traceability which provides trustable, transparent, secure, and reliable services for the wheat crop. A crypto token called wheat coin (WC) has been introduced to keep track of transactions among the stakeholders of the wheat supply chain. Moreover, an initial coin offering (ICO) of WC, crypto wallets, and an economic model are proposed. Furthermore, a smart contract-based transaction system has been devised for the transparency of wheat crop transactions and conversion of WC to fiat and vice versa. We have developed the interplanetary file system (IPFS) to improve data availability, security, and transparency which stores encrypted private data of farmers, businesses, and merchants. Lastly, the results of the experiments show that the proposed framework shows better performance as compared to previous crop supply chain solutions in terms of latency to add-blocks, per-minute transactions, average gas charge for the transaction, and transaction verification time. Performance analysis with Bitcoin and Ethereum shows the superior performance of the proposed system.

A smart contract and IPFS-based framework for secure electric vehicles synchronization at charging station

The growth of electric vehicles (EVs) at a significant pace is a promising solution for reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional vehicles. Nevertheless, optimal and efficient EV charging management is a serious concern that needs to be solved for the benefit of both charging stations (CSs) and EVs. In this regard, we proposed a smart contract and Interplanetary File System (IPFS)-based secure EV synchronization framework at the CS utilizing a 5G wireless network. Blockchain technology strengthens the security of the EV charging at the CS in a synchronized and coordinated manner. The IPFS and 5G wireless network ensure efficient and reliable EVs synchronization to charge vehicles from the available number of charging points (CPs) at a CS. Furthermore, we have coordinated and synchronized the EV charging, considering various scenarios based on the waiting queue time, energy demand, and EVs (they can arrive in an emergency). We have shown the implementation interface of the proposed model based on the execution of a smart contract using the Remix Integrated Development Environment (IDE). Moreover, we have performed the security analysis of the smart contract using Echidna fuzzing-based tool to ensure the secure EVs allocation to the corresponding CS. Finally, the performance analysis of the IPFS and smart-based proposed model is evaluated and simulated considering various metrics such as transaction storage cost analysis, computational and communication overhead analysis, utilized cost based on the smart contract functions, and the number of EVs.

Secure Goods Storage and Anti-Theft Approach using Ethereum Blockchain

At present, technological systems lack a secure and transparent method for tracking goods and preventing theft in e-commerce, leading to trust issues and data vulnerabilities. There is a pressing need for a comprehensive solution that integrates Ethereum blockchain, IPFS, and advanced cryptographic techniques to address these challenges and enhance the security and transparency of transactions. This research paper presents a robust system that harnesses the Ethereum blockchain, IPFS (Interplanetary File System), and advanced cryptographic algorithms to create a secure, decentralized approach for tracking goods and preventing theft incidents. Unique identifiers and related information will be sent to the mail of the customer and same should entered by the customer for successful transaction. By assigning unique identifiers to purchased products and employing cryptographic techniques to encrypt sensitive data, our system ensures both user privacy and the creation of an immutable transaction ledger. Users can efficiently manage their purchased goods, block stolen items, and communicate with sellers through an intuitive interface. Additionally, the system provides sellers with a comprehensive transaction history, enhancing accountability and transparency within the supply chain. Through this research, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our blockchain based anti-theft measures, underpinned by Ethereum, IPFS, and cutting-edge cryptographic algorithms, in fostering secure, trustless transactions. This work highlights the transformative potential of blockchain technology and decentralized protocols in revolutionizing security and transparency across diverse sectors.

SHARD-FEMF: Adaptive Forensic Evidence Management Framework using Blockchain Sharding and IPFS

Blockchain technology is a groundbreaking and highly secure decentralized digital ledger used to record and store transactions across a network of computers. Its primary purpose is to safeguard, monitor, and oversee digital assets, providing robust protection against unauthorized tampering, revisions, or deletions. It serves as an immutable and tamper-resistant ledger ideal for storing digital evidence, enabling the tracking of evidence’s origins while strictly controlling access to authorized individuals. Current evidence management systems lack essential functionalities, such as authenticating intermediate user access and efficiently transferring evidence access between users. These systems also rely on the Base64 algorithm, which presents challenges related to storage capacity, time delays, scalability, and transaction throughput. To address these limitations, this research introduces an innovative solution: The integration of the Base64 scheme with sharding and the Interplanetary File System (IPFS). This integration is designed to bolster transaction performance, scalability, and throughput. The Base64 scheme plays a pivotal role by encrypting image evidence, securely housing it within the blockchain network. Concurrently, IPFS decentralizes the storage of these images, thereby optimizing memory usage and enhancing transaction throughput within the blockchain environment. Experimental results showcase the efficacy of the proposed SHARD-FEMF, demonstrating a 25% improvement in memory utilization, a 21.5% reduction in gas utilization, and a 23% enhancement in transaction scalability compared to the existing Base64 scheme. Through the combined utilization of sharding and IPFS, the SHARD-FEMF framework represents a significant advancement in efficient forensic evidence management leveraging blockchain technology

Reliable and Sustainable Product Evaluation Management System Based on Blockchain

To facilitate the consumers’ online shopping, it is very necessary to build a reliable and sustainable product evaluation management (PEM) system to store, secure, and retrieve the evaluation data of products. To this end, we propose a novel PEM system based on blockchain technologies. In this PEM system, the evaluation data of products including evaluation scores and comments are stored in the interplanetary file system (IPFS), and then the data hash addresses are returned and stored on the blockchain. Then, the retrieval of evaluation data is implemented by designing and deploying smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain. Since it is almost impossible to change any data stored in blockchain and IPFS, the proposed PEM system can protect the comment data from intentional or unintentional modifications. Moreover, the proposed PEM system allows users to efficiently and reliably retrieve the relevant evaluation data of a certain product by a given query keyword with the increase of data stored on the blockchain. In addition, to achieve high sustainability, the proposed system also contains an economic incentive mechanism, which is beneficial to form a virtuous circle in online shopping. The proposed system is simulated on the popular blockchain platform, i.e., Ethereum with Solidity programming language. The experimental results and analysis demonstrate that the proposed PEM system achieves desirable usability, reliability, and sustainability.

ShardedScale: Empowering Blockchain Transaction Scalability with Scalable Block Consensus

Blockchain is a decentralized digital ledger technology that offers transparency, security, and immutability by recording and verifying transactions across multiple computers. However, it faces limitations such as scalability issues, high energy consumption, slow transaction validation, expanding storage requirements. Understanding these limitations is crucial for evaluating blockchain's suitability for specific use cases and finding solutions to overcome these challenges. Recognizing these limitations is imperative for assessing blockchain's applicability and devising solutions. This paper introduces a hybrid mechanism, ShardedScale, designed to enhance scalability, throughput, and system performance while mitigating time, gas, and ether consumption. The proposed ShardedScale approach combines various techniques including Proof of Work (PoW), Dynamic On-demand Proof of Stake (DPOS), Inter Planetary File System (IPFS), and sharding. ShardedScale achieved a remarkable 40% reduction in transaction confirmation times, a substantial 60% improvement in throughput, and demonstrated cost-effectiveness with a 30% reduction in gas price consumption and a 25% decrease in ethers consumption. These findings signify a significant step towards addressing challenges faced by traditional blockchain systems, providing valuable insights for future designs in blockchain technology.