Blockchain Middleware for IoT OTA Update Authorization
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Solution Overview
Problem
The Internet of Things (IoT) platforms face security issues due to unauthorized Over The Air (OTA) updates, where devices may receive and install malicious software, making it difficult to detect and prevent unauthorized content from being uploaded, leading to potential hacking and reliability concerns.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a blockchain as a trusted middleware between the Central Management System and IoT devices to validate and authorize OTA updates, ensuring only authorized updates are delivered and recorded in an immutable ledger, with mediator processes in both systems to manage and verify the update requests and responses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mandatory OTA updates are implemented to ensure devices are up to date, then device reliability is improved, but security vulnerability increases as devices cannot refuse unauthorized updates
Solution Approach 1:
A blockchain-based intermediary system is introduced between the CMS and IoT devices to validate OTA update requests. The blockchain network acts as a trusted mediator that verifies the authenticity and authorization of update sources before allowing devices to apply updates, thus maintaining reliability while preventing unauthorized updates from compromising security
2Object-affected harmful factors
If devices are enabled to refuse OTA updates to prevent hacking, then security is improved, but device compliance and platform integrity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The blockchain system provides feedback to devices about the authenticity and authorization status of OTA update requests. Devices can refuse updates based on blockchain validation results, ensuring security while maintaining compliance through transparent verification of update sources and purposes
3Productivity
If centralized update management is implemented, then update delivery efficiency is improved, but detection of unauthorized third-party updates becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The blockchain network serves as a distributed intermediary that maintains a transparent and immutable record of all authorized update requests and their delivery status. This enables efficient centralized management while simultaneously providing clear visibility into which devices receive updates from authorized versus unauthorized sources, making detection of unauthorized updates straightforward through blockchain verification
Data Source
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AI summary
It is disclosed a method for providing an Over The Air (OTA) update to devices (1, 2, 3, ...) of an Internet of Things (IoT) platform (10), wherein the update is addressed from a Central Management System (20) to one or more of said devices (1, 2) to be updated. A mediator process (80) in the Central Management System (20) transmits a request of update of said one or more of said devices (1, 2, 3, ...) to be updated to a block-chain system (50) including a plurality of nodes (51, 52, ...), wherein the block-chain system (50) delivers the update to said one or more devices (1, 2) to be updated only if said request of update from the Central Management System (20) is authorized from the nodes (51, 52, ...) of the block-chain system (50), and wherein said request of update is delivered from the block-chain system (50) to the one or more devices (1, 2) to be updated through a second mediator process (40) which is associated to the devices (1, 2, 3, ...) of the IoT platform.