Physical unclonable functions and QKD-based authentication scheme for IoT devices using blockchain

Abstract

As the number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices is increasing exponentially, strong security measures are needed to guard against different types of cyberattacks. This research offers a novel IoT device authentication technique to mitigate these challenges by integrating three cutting-edge technologies namely blockchain technology, Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), and Physically Unclonable Functions (PUFs). By utilizing the distinctive qualities of PUFs for device identification and the unrivaled security of QKD for key exchange, the proposed approach seeks to address the significant security issues present in IoT environments. Adopting blockchain technology ensures transparency and verifiability of the authentication process across distributed IoT networks by adding an unchangeable, decentralized layer of trust. An examination of the computing and communication costs reveals that the proposed protocol is effective, necessitating low computational resources that are critical for IoT devices with limited resources. The protocol’s resistance against a variety of attacks is demonstrated by formal proofs based on the Real-Or-Random (ROR) model and security evaluations using the Scyther tool, ensuring the integrity and secrecy of communications. Various threats are analyzed, and the protocol is proven to be secure and efficient from all forms of attacks.