Blockchain-based PKI for Crowdsourced IoT Sensor Information

TL;DR

This paper proposes a blockchain-based PKI system integrated with Keybase to enhance security and trust in IoT sensor networks by enabling autonomous device verification of ownership and identity.

Contribution

It introduces a novel decentralized PKI protocol that links device public keys to owner identities via blockchain and Keybase, improving trustworthiness in IoT communications.

Findings

Successfully implemented a blockchain-based PKI linked to Keybase.

Enables devices to verify ownership and identity autonomously.

Enhances security and trust in IoT sensor networks.

Abstract

The Internet of Things is progressively getting broader, evol-ving its scope while creating new markets and adding more to the existing ones. However, both generation and analysis of large amounts of data, which are integral to this concept, may require the proper protection and privacy-awareness of some sensitive information. In order to control the access to this data, allowing devices to verify the reliability of their own interactions with other endpoints of the network is a crucial step to ensure this required safeness. Through the implementation of a blockchain-based Public Key Infrastructure connected to the Keybase platform, it is possible to achieve a simple protocol that binds devices' public keys to their owner accounts, which are respectively supported by identity proofs. The records of this blockchain represent digital signatures performed by this Keybase users on their respective devices' public keys, claiming their ownership. Resorting to this distributed and decentralized PKI, any device is able to autonomously verify the entity in control of a certain node of the network and prevent future interactions with unverified parties.