Proof of Authenticity of General IoT Information with Tamper-Evident Sensors and Blockchain

TL;DR

This paper introduces a blockchain-based method for securing IoT sensor data using tamper-evident devices and cryptographic techniques, ensuring data integrity and verifiability even in untrusted environments.

Contribution

It presents a novel, general approach combining tamper-evident sensors, hash chains, and blockchain verification to protect IoT data integrity across various applications.

Findings

Effective detection of data tampering in IoT systems

Cost-efficient and scalable verification process

Applicable to critical infrastructure and humanitarian use cases

Abstract

Sensor data in IoT (Internet of Things) systems is vulnerable to tampering or falsification when transmitted through untrusted services. This is critical because such data increasingly underpins real-world decisions in domains such as logistics, healthcare, and other critical infrastructure. We propose a general method for secure sensor-data logging in which tamper-evident devices periodically sign readouts, link data using redundant hash chains, and submit cryptographic evidence to a blockchain-based service via Merkle trees to ensure verifiability even under data loss. Our approach enables reliable and cost-effective validation of sensor data across diverse IoT systems, including disaster response and other humanitarian applications, without relying on the integrity of intermediate systems.