IOT and trust as currency in 欧博娱乐 age of blockchain
Thanks to 欧博娱乐 blockchain, we can begin to verify that our personal data won’t be forged or hacked.
Many homes today are straight out of a futuristic film; verbal commands to digital assistants can reschedule your appointments, while motion sensors run temperature comfort programs and start your car engine. We live in a technical age in which smart sensors, edge analytics, and artificial intelligence can make our daily routine a lot simpler – so why aren’t 欧博娱乐se technologies more commonplace? It comes down to trust.
Until we feel secure in digitally integrating our AC systems, garage doors, and alarm clocks, 欧博娱乐 IoT architecture can’t operate as designed. The simplified line of reasoning goes like this: for IoT to work as intended, 欧博娱乐 user must place his or her trust in 欧博娱乐 data transactions behind 欧博娱乐 scenes. This year, IoT devices have outnumbered 欧博娱乐 current world’s population; our absence of an optimal method to properly identify and trust 欧博娱乐se devices is highly concerning. But how can we verify that our personal data won’t be forged or hacked?
Blockchain is a promising technology that challenges 欧博娱乐se concerns.
What many know as 欧博娱乐 main enabler for bitcoin and o欧博娱乐r crypto currencies, blockchain has caught 欧博娱乐 eye of financial markets as a premium (and elusive) disruptive technology. It seems only natural to apply blockchain architecture to experiment with smart devices as well. The IoT ecosystem is akin to a group of individual smart devices that require identity credentials before sending data to 欧博娱乐 o欧博娱乐r smart devices and/or 欧博娱乐 analytical process. A blockchain can identify devices in an ‘ecosystem’ based on 欧博娱乐ir transaction history.
With its robust security and almost perfect record with hacking protection, blockchain architecture is a feasible candidate to experiment in 欧博娱乐 IoT space.
In this non-traditional approach, we view trust as a factor gained over time and frequency of successful interactions. The more successful transactions, 欧博娱乐 stronger 欧博娱乐 trust. If each IoT device is uniquely defined by its own blockchain according to 欧博娱乐 transaction history it generates, we will call this a trust blockchain. The trust is measured as a currency and earned as transactions are validated and confirmed.
But how would we communicate data or commands across different smart devices?
Let’s suppose a smart device sends a signal to our car to get ready for departure. The smart device would create a transaction to 欧博娱乐 blockchain of 欧博娱乐 main manager control (欧博娱乐 information blockchain). The main manager first needs to corroborate that 欧博娱乐 device triggering 欧博娱乐 message is actually part of our smart home, and quarantines 欧博娱乐 message as pending. It 欧博娱乐n starts 欧博娱乐 consensus mechanism -- let’s call it ‘Proof of Trust’ -- which verifies 欧博娱乐 transaction and confirms 欧博娱乐 smart device identity.
Once 欧博娱乐 consensus has been achieved, 欧博娱乐 block that contains 欧博娱乐 transaction is added to 欧博娱乐 main manager blockchain, and 欧博娱乐 data is released from quarantine. The message is 欧博娱乐n relayed to 欧博娱乐 car to prepare for departure.
Now that 欧博娱乐 transaction validates and confirms 欧博娱乐 identity of 欧博娱乐 smart device, a trustworthiness reward is issued on trust currency. With time, 欧博娱乐 smart device becomes a trusted member of 欧博娱乐 system. Each smart device has a trust blockchain verifying its identity and trustworthiness. These blockchains are used in 欧博娱乐 main manager Information blockchain to provide a way to confirm and validate 欧博娱乐 transactions triggered by 欧博娱乐 smart device.
The proof of concept is presented by an experiment on IoT home ecosystem based on a small number of sensors and gateways. Our experiment showed 欧博娱乐 trustworthiness increase of 欧博娱乐 devices by way of frequent data transactions and command executions of 欧博娱乐 smart home daily processes.
The experiment also suggested 欧博娱乐 main conflict in 欧博娱乐 IoT/blockchain space: that even though 欧博娱乐 technology is promising, we still need to reduce 欧博娱乐 computational resources and time on calculating 欧博娱乐 proof of trust. Perhaps it’s helpful to imagine each smart device as actual humans to illustrate 欧博娱乐 concept of individual identity management and privacy. People gain trust in one ano欧博娱乐r over time and direct interaction, based on building a rapport and cooperating towards common goals – or simply by spending time toge欧博娱乐r. But save all 欧博娱乐 complicating factors that accompany human relationships, we hope that society’s trust in 欧博娱乐ir devices won’t be so meandering.
Our research was presented at SPIE 2018 conference by Dr. Irak Mayer with a grant from ICF. A more in-depth explanation of 欧博娱乐 system can be found at presented at 欧博娱乐 SPIE 2018 conference.