Security and Privacy for Hybrid Centralized and Blockchain Computing in the Internet of Things

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The Internet-of-Things (IoT) is a world-wide collection of networks of physical objects, sensors, actuators, computers, and people. Two observations emerge from studying IoT predictions: 1) the IoT sector is predicted to continue to grow by approximately 20% per year, and 2) the greatest risks for IoT are security, scalability, and reliability. Proceeding at this rate of growth with security as a major risk is an untenable solution. While industry will continue to develop new products and short-term solutions, fundamental research is needed to develop a secure and efficient foundation for IoT networks and devices. The complexity of the networks, large volume of data, need for real-time access to data, and constrained resources and mobile nature of devices make it extremely challenging to implement security and privacy mechanisms for IoT systems. No known centralized security mechanism satisfies all of the requirements of large-scale IoT systems. A blockchain is a decentralized peer-to-peer (P2P) ledger introduced for the Bitcoin cryptocurrency in 2008. Notable extensions include Ethereum smart contracts, which provides mechanisms for secure computation between entities that do not trust each other. Blockchain technology's ability to provide trusted consensus and data processing is rapidly generating interest in potential IoT applications, but fundamental challenges must first be overcome. The goal of this research is to develop novel hybrid centralized and blockchain networks that will bring the benefits of blockchains to IoT systems. We will achieve this goal with innovative architectures, protocols, and prototype implementations in hardware and software. This research will help make critical infrastructure more resistant to cyberattacks and will accelerate development of novel applications that rely on IoT networks and devices, by creating a secure foundation for blockchain-based systems in the Internet of Things.