Remote management framework for IoT devices utilizing Blockchain

Abstract

In recent times, the Internet of Things has become a major driving force in the development of a connected world. Potentially millions of devices featuring sensors and actuators would form a complete, cohesive network of things that would generate billions of bits of data. There are many issues related to the management and security of IoT devices, posing risks and difficulties in authentication, and remote management of devices belonging to a single owner. Blockchain has become popular with the rise of cryptocurrencies as a distributed, peer-to-peer ledger. With its features of verification, security and immutability, it has also become highly useful in areas other than cryptocurrency as a secure storage mechanism which is immune to attacks. As such, the possibility of implementing private blockchains which fulfill use cases related to secure storage, nonrepudiation and maintenance of reliable records has been explored. This research was targeted at bringing the security of blockchain as a viable means to manage and maintain details of IoT devices including their credentials, as well as the enablement of remote management of multiple devices belonging to a single owner. The implementation focuses on two main flows: the creation and management of devices and the storage of messages on blockchain. There are three main components of the developed system, the backend application which consists of a generic MQTT message broker and a RESTful web service API, the blockchain component which is implemented using Hyperledger Fabric, and an AngularJS web application which provides a standard interface for the user. The backend application impelements chaincode to interface with the blockchain to form smart contracts on the creation of device details and device message details on the ledger in the form of transactions. Evaluation of the system was carried out through the implementation of Behaviour-Driven Development-based testing methodologies, and have conclusively proven that blockchain can be utilized as a secure storage mechanism for maintaining IoT device details.