IoT Edge Authorization With NFT-Validated Messages for Network Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing IoT networks face security concerns due to insecure IoT devices that can be hacked, allowing them to send malicious data despite authentication, necessitating enhanced authorization management.
Innovation Solution
Implementing non-fungible tokens (NFTs) based on blockchain technology to uniquely identify and authorize resources provided by IoT devices, ensuring only authorized data is transmitted by embedding NFTs in messages for validation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional authentication methods are used in IoT networks, then device connectivity is maintained, but security is compromised due to hacked devices being able to send malicious data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the authorization process by introducing edge nodes that independently validate NFTs embedded in messages from IoT devices. This distributes the security validation function across multiple edge nodes rather than relying on a centralized authentication system, thereby enhancing network security while maintaining manageable complexity through modular deployment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces NFTs (non-fungible tokens) as an intermediary mechanism embedded in messages to carry authorization information. These NFTs serve as a trusted mediator that proves device authorization without requiring complex authentication handshakes, simplifying the authorization management while strengthening security validation at edge nodes
2Reliability
If NFT validation is implemented at edge nodes, then security is enhanced by blocking unauthorized data, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-embedding NFTs into messages at the source (IoT devices or authorized systems) before transmission. This prepares the authorization proof in advance, allowing edge nodes to perform simple validation of pre-packaged NFTs rather than conducting complex authentication processes during message handling, thus enhancing security while controlling processing complexity
Data Source
AI summary
In an approach, a processor receives, at an edge node, a message from an IoT device associated with the edge node, the message being embedded with at least one non-fungible token (NFT) and each of the at least one NFT representing a corresponding authorization associated with the IoT device. A processor retrieves, at the edge node, the at least one NFT from the received message. A processor validates, at the edge node, the received message based on the retrieved at least one NFT. A processor, responsive to validating the received message, forwards, by the edge node, the received message to a center node associated with the edge node.