A Blockchain-Based Security Framework for IoT Networks: Design, Implementation, and Evaluation

Abstract

To control and monitor the different sectors, Internet of Things (IoT) devices have vigorously evolved to give realtime and easy connectivity. However, due to their widespread use in critical sectors, IoT networks face significant security challenges such as data manipulation and unauthorized access. Despite numerous studies aimed at addressing these challenges, IoT security remains an ongoing area of research. This paper proposes a blockchainbased security protocol specifically designed to mitigate these vulnerabilities. The proposed approach integrates a private blockchain with smart contracts to enhance IoT security by ensuring data integrity, authentication, and privacy. By leveraging a combination of edge computing and blockchain’s decentralized structure, the protocol strengthens security measures while minimizing latency and computational overhead. Extensive simulations and performance evaluations demonstrate significant improvements, including a notable reduction in attack risks, decreased latency, and enhanced throughput. The proposed protocol achieves mitigation rates of up to 90% for common IoT attacks. The key innovation of this work lies in the development of an optimized consensus mechanism that alleviates computational burdens on IoT devices, making it a substantial advancement over existing blockchainIoT integration solutions.