Blockchain For Smart Cities: A Potential Solution To Securit

Blockchain For Smart Cities A Potential Solution To A Security Proble

Blockchain for Smart Cities: A Potential Solution to a Security Problem Student Briefing Paper

The emergence of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies has given rise to the concept of the smart city. Cities have varied services and functions that demand a precise set of controls. Smart cities control the usage of these services through IoT technology. Connecting such services and functions through the use of IoT technology allows city services to be more efficient. For example, cities can have smart electrical grids that render improved efficiency as they control the loads at different times of the day through IoT technology.

Cities can have smart parking meters, allowing residents to pay for parking with IoT technology through their smartphones rather than with coins. However, using IoT technology in this way means more security vulnerabiliites. Hackers can gain access to personal data through IoT devices. The reason that hackers can access the system is that different IoT devices are developed by various manufacturers, different firmware is involved in their construction, and various sensors, scanners, and surveillance instruments are used by IoT devices. This plethora of standards causes vulnerabilities when IoT devices are connected to cities’ infrastructure.

As a result, opportunities for cyber criminals abound. Blockchain technology offers a promising security solution for smart cities in connecting IoT devices. Blockchain technology is decentralized, as opposed to traditional third-party networks that require a central authority for oversight. The decentralized nature of blockchain technology renders it more secure than traditional third-party platforms. Blockchain technology is a promising solution to the security vulnerabilities that smart cities introduce.

The Problem

A smart city, according to Shea (2020), is "a municipality that uses information and communication technologies (ICT) to increase operational efficiency, share information with the public and improve both the quality of government services and citizen welfare" (par. 1). The concept of the smart city has emerged for various reasons. Population growth in cities is one factor. It is estimated that more than 68% of the world’s population will live in cities by the year 2050 (Vuppuluri, December 3, 2020), leading to the need for more efficient services, more seamless forms of payment, and more sustainable development in cities.

Furthermore, according to Bhushan, Khamparia, Sagayam, Sharma, Ahad, and Debnath, (2020), the need for sustainability is an important factor in the rise of smart cities as energy distribution, and natural resource usage need to be applied in efficient ways. IoT technology is crucial for the development of efficient, smart cities. IoT technology and wireless communication have allowed cities to interconnect devices and transmit data efficiently. With this technology, a resident can rent a bicycle, pay a parking meter, and obtain traffic information all by using an app on a smartphone. Electric grids can be controlled wirelessly to improve efficiency.

Sewer-line routing can feature sensors that communicate with each other and redirect water flow to prevent flooding. These are but a few of the services that IoT technology can improve for city residents. However, as noted in the Waltonchain white paper (2018), the current arrangement for IoT technology involves various stakeholders whose relationship with one another is uncertain at best. With various stakeholders collaborating with their IoT devices, one IoT service provider is needed to make sure that trust is established. The Waltonchain white paper notes that this “significantly reduces the true commercial value of the Internet of Things applications" (p. 2). Moreover, Gilder (2018) outlines the security problems with a central service provider: Centralization tells thieves where digital assets are most valuable and where they are. It solves their most difficult problems. Unless power and information are distributed throughout the system peer to peer, they are vulnerable to manipulation and theft from the blenders at the top (p. 49).

Figure 1 demonstrates the traditional management of IoT services. The third party overseeing the IoT hub represents a centralized management of the IoT services. As noted above, this model is ripe for hackers to attempt to break in and access personal information. Adapted from Pauw, C. (2018) How significant is blockchain in Internet of Things? Cointelegraph.

Overall, smart cities are more efficient for residents, but also more vulnerable to hackers. The traditional model of connecting IoT devices leaves municipalities at risk for data breaches.

A Possible Solution

Blockchain technology decentralizes the control of IoT infrastructure and creates a more secure connection through which IoT devices can communicate. In blockchain technology, the terms hash, block, and blockchain are pivotal.

  • A hash is like a fingerprint for a human being. It is a 256-bit number that must start with zeroes. The hash identifies the block and its contents, just as a fingerprint identifies a human being.
  • A block is a record. It can be compared to a page of a ledger. It contains a collection of data, a 32-bit number called a nonce, and a hash.
  • A blockchain is a chain of blocks, a distributed ledger. Each block points backwards to the previous one, forming a secure chain. This linking of blocks makes data tampering extremely difficult, as altering a block would require changing all subsequent blocks and obtaining consensus from all network participants (Hassan, 2020; Kotow, 2019).

This structure ensures data integrity and security because it is computationally impractical for hackers to modify the data without detection. The decentralized nature of blockchain networks means no central authority exists, making it harder for attackers to compromise the entire system (Van Dem Dam, 2015).

Furthermore, blockchain's transparency allows all participants to verify the data, reducing the risk of fraud and unauthorized changes. This feature, combined with cryptographic hashing, makes blockchain an ideal solution for securing interconnected IoT devices in smart cities (Lage, de Diego, Urkizu, Gà³mez, & Gutiérrez Agà¼ero, 2019; Hassan et al., 2019).

Conclusion

Blockchain technology holds significant promise for enhancing the security infrastructure of smart cities by providing a decentralized, tamper-proof, and transparent network for IoT device communication. As smart cities expand and become more integral to urban life, integrating blockchain can address the vulnerabilities posed by centralized IoT management. Implementing blockchain solutions could lead to more resilient and trustworthy smart city operations, ultimately protecting residents' data and maintaining critical infrastructure integrity.

References

  • Bhushan, B., Khamparia, A., Sagayam, K. M., Sharma, S. K., Ahad, M. A., & Debnath, N. C. (2020). Blockchain for smart cities: A review of architectures, integration trends and future research directions. Sustainable Cities and Society, 61.
  • Ferrag, M. A., Derdour, M., Mukherjee, M., Derhab, A., Maglaras, L., & Janicke, H. (2018). Blockchain technologies for the Internet of Things: Research issues and challenges. IEEE Internet of Things Journal, 6(2).
  • Gilder, G. (2018). Life after google. The fall of big data and the rise of the blockchain economy. Regnery Gateway.
  • Hassan, M. U., Rehmani, M. H., & Chen, J. (2019). Differential privacy in blockchain technology: A futuristic approach. Journal of Parallel & Distributed Computing, 145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpdc.2020.06.003
  • Kotow, E. (2019). What is blockchain hashing? blockchain-hashing/
  • Lage, O., de Diego, S., Urkizu, B., Gà³mez, E., & Gutiérrez Agà¼ero, I. (2019). Blockchain applications in cybersecurity. In C. Thomas, P. Fraga-Lamas, & T. M. Fernandez-Carames (Eds.), Computer Security Threats.
  • Pauw, C. (2018). How significant is blockchain in Internet of Things? Cointelegraph.
  • Vuppuluri, P. (2020). Investing in innovation: The rise of the smart city. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/pvuppuluri/2020/12/03/the-rise-of-the-smart-city/?sh=58b4c5e75ba6
  • Waltonchain. (2018). Waltonchain white paper V 1.0.4. The Waltonchain Team.
  • Shea, S. (2020, July). Smart city. City.
  • Van Dem Dam, R. (2015). Rebooting the IOT – ACC Conference.

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