Blockchain-Enabled Secure Distributed Event Logging in the Industrial Internet of Things

Abstract

Blockchain technology has found applications across diverse domains owing to its ability to establish trust in a decentralized manner. Nevertheless, the integration of blockchain into critical infrastructure domains encounters significant challenges posed by the computational demands and storage requirements associated with the proof-of-work puzzle during the mining process. This scenario becomes particularly complex in the context of applications within the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), where stringent timeliness constraints are inherent, notably in functions such as intrusion detection and control. This paper presents a novel solution that takes into account the time-sensitive nature of application constraints within the IIoT. Specifically, we focus on online functions involving intrusion detection and control. By doing so, we address the imperative need for timely and secure data delivery, crucial in maintaining the integrity of hard-to-tamper ledger blocks. These blocks encapsulate measurements that are seamlessly utilized by various system functions and components. The proposed approach optimizes the utilization of heterogeneous resources governing blockchain computations. This optimization ensures that the desired properties for logging within the blockchain are met, enabling the prompt delivery of measurements. The novel collaborative mining technique entails the sharing of nonce ranges among miners, which effectively reduces the overall mining time and enhances the efficiency of the process.