Zero-Trust Access Control Mechanism Based on Blockchain and Inner-Product Encryption in the Internet of Things in a 6G Environment
Within the framework of 6G networks, the rapid proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, coupled with their decentralized and heterogeneous characteristics, presents substantial security challenges. Conventional centralized systems face significant challenges in effectively managing the div...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| author | Shoubai Nie Jingjing Ren Rui Wu Pengchong Han Zhaoyang Han Wei Wan |
| author_facet | Shoubai Nie Jingjing Ren Rui Wu Pengchong Han Zhaoyang Han Wei Wan |
| author_sort | Shoubai Nie |
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| description | Within the framework of 6G networks, the rapid proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, coupled with their decentralized and heterogeneous characteristics, presents substantial security challenges. Conventional centralized systems face significant challenges in effectively managing the diverse range of IoT devices, and they are inadequate in addressing the requirements for reduced latency and the efficient processing and analysis of large-scale data. To tackle these challenges, this paper introduces a zero-trust access control framework that integrates blockchain technology with inner-product encryption. By using smart contracts for automated access control, a reputation-based trust model for decentralized identity management, and inner-product encryption for fine-grained access control, the framework ensures data security and efficiency. Firstly, smart contracts are employed to automate access control, and software-defined boundaries are defined for different application domains. Secondly, through a trust model based on a consensus algorithm of node reputation values and a registration-based inner-product encryption algorithm supporting fine-grained access control, zero-trust self-sovereign enhanced identity management in the 6G environment of the Internet of Things is achieved. Furthermore, the use of multiple auxiliary chains for storing data across different application domains not only mitigates the risks associated with data expansion but also achieves micro-segmentation, thereby enhancing the efficiency of access control. Finally, empirical evidence demonstrates that, compared with the traditional methods, this paper’s scheme improves the encryption efficiency by 14%, reduces the data access latency by 18%, and significantly improves the throughput. This mechanism ensures data security while maintaining system efficiency in environments with large-scale data interactions. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| spelling | doaj-art-937e51dd85164681ac78e728ed264b412025-01-24T13:49:19ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202025-01-0125255010.3390/s25020550Zero-Trust Access Control Mechanism Based on Blockchain and Inner-Product Encryption in the Internet of Things in a 6G EnvironmentShoubai Nie0Jingjing Ren1Rui Wu2Pengchong Han3Zhaoyang Han4Wei Wan5School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, AustraliaSchool of Computer Science, School of Cyber Science and Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Digital Forensics, Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, ChinaSchool of Computer Science, School of Cyber Science and Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Digital Forensics, Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, ChinaSchool of Computer Science, School of Cyber Science and Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Digital Forensics, Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, ChinaSchool of Software, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, ChinaState Grid Zaozhuang Power Supply Company, Zaozhuang 277899, ChinaWithin the framework of 6G networks, the rapid proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, coupled with their decentralized and heterogeneous characteristics, presents substantial security challenges. Conventional centralized systems face significant challenges in effectively managing the diverse range of IoT devices, and they are inadequate in addressing the requirements for reduced latency and the efficient processing and analysis of large-scale data. To tackle these challenges, this paper introduces a zero-trust access control framework that integrates blockchain technology with inner-product encryption. By using smart contracts for automated access control, a reputation-based trust model for decentralized identity management, and inner-product encryption for fine-grained access control, the framework ensures data security and efficiency. Firstly, smart contracts are employed to automate access control, and software-defined boundaries are defined for different application domains. Secondly, through a trust model based on a consensus algorithm of node reputation values and a registration-based inner-product encryption algorithm supporting fine-grained access control, zero-trust self-sovereign enhanced identity management in the 6G environment of the Internet of Things is achieved. Furthermore, the use of multiple auxiliary chains for storing data across different application domains not only mitigates the risks associated with data expansion but also achieves micro-segmentation, thereby enhancing the efficiency of access control. Finally, empirical evidence demonstrates that, compared with the traditional methods, this paper’s scheme improves the encryption efficiency by 14%, reduces the data access latency by 18%, and significantly improves the throughput. This mechanism ensures data security while maintaining system efficiency in environments with large-scale data interactions.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/2/550Internet of Thingszero trustblockchaininner-product encryptionaccess control |
| spellingShingle | Shoubai Nie Jingjing Ren Rui Wu Pengchong Han Zhaoyang Han Wei Wan Zero-Trust Access Control Mechanism Based on Blockchain and Inner-Product Encryption in the Internet of Things in a 6G Environment Sensors Internet of Things zero trust blockchain inner-product encryption access control |
| title | Zero-Trust Access Control Mechanism Based on Blockchain and Inner-Product Encryption in the Internet of Things in a 6G Environment |
| title_full | Zero-Trust Access Control Mechanism Based on Blockchain and Inner-Product Encryption in the Internet of Things in a 6G Environment |
| title_fullStr | Zero-Trust Access Control Mechanism Based on Blockchain and Inner-Product Encryption in the Internet of Things in a 6G Environment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Zero-Trust Access Control Mechanism Based on Blockchain and Inner-Product Encryption in the Internet of Things in a 6G Environment |
| title_short | Zero-Trust Access Control Mechanism Based on Blockchain and Inner-Product Encryption in the Internet of Things in a 6G Environment |
| title_sort | zero trust access control mechanism based on blockchain and inner product encryption in the internet of things in a 6g environment |
| topic | Internet of Things zero trust blockchain inner-product encryption access control |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/2/550 |
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