Towards Blockchain-based Adaptive Trust Management in Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract

Blockchain is an emerging technology that can be utilized to enhance Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) security level in various Internet of Things (IoT) applications. However, the implementation of blockchain in WSNs remains a challenging task due to the high demands for processing and communication. WSNs are prone to different types of cyber-attacks and the sensor nodes can be compromised or become unreliable as they are the primary data sources. To address this issue, it is crucial to incorporate a blockchain-based trust mechanism that guarantees the selection of trusted sources of data-gathering. This paper proposes a lightweight blockchain-based adaptive trust management mechanism that maintains nodes' trust and facilitates the identification of malicious nodes. A trust smart contract is introduced to evaluate the trustworthiness of each sensor node based on its behavior during the network operation using a set of assessment metrics such as node status, Transmitted Signal Strength, Packet Sending Rate, Packet Forwarding Rate, and Forwarding Delay. The proposed mechanism is shown to help mitigate potential cyber-attacks and maintain trustworthiness among sensor nodes.