Bio-Inspired Framework for Security in IoT Devices

Abstract

One of the many things COVID-19 has taught humanity is that the internet is not just a commodity but a vital service integral to the modern world. As we become ever more connected, there is a growing need to secure data and communication streams. If data is valued, then it should be protected. Unfortunately, some of the least secure devices in modern electronic systems are the Internet of Things (IoT) devices-partly due to their low processing power and always-on functionality. Polymorphism is the notion of changing one's form. In biological organisms, polymorphic (mutating or changing) viruses trick the natural security mechanisms by changing their unique signatures (e.g. DNA or proteins). In computing, antivirus software systems are adapted to detect and remove constantly changing software viruses. However, polymorphism at the firmware level and over the wireless medium is neither well understood nor explored for IoT devices. This paper proposes a novel and bio-inspired framework for securing distributed IoT devices often assumed to be working at the intersection of engineering, computing, and cybersecurity domains. The proposed framework attempts to exploit the notion of polymorphism in resource-constrained (e.g. memory, power, bandwidth) IoT devices. The framework's core aim is to detect, reject, and block foreign agents individually or collaboratively and in real-time within a client and server model by changing the access credentials and encryption keys as soon as an unauthorised client is detected. The framework proposed for the bio-inspired framework for security in IoT devices is designed to remain operationally compartmentalised, functionally integrated, and objectively unified.

Bio-Inspired Internet of Things: Current Status, Benefits, Challenges, and Future Directions

“…The proliferation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) early in the 21st century has led to a revolution in our daily lives in which we are able to perform many tasks that were considered difficult with the use of available technologies at that time [ 1 ]. Progressively, this ICT has given birth to many advanced technologies, of which IoT can be considered as one such major technology [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]. Over the years, this IoT has been affiliated with many of the domains that are deemed important for human survival, such as agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and healthcare [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ].…”

“…Overall, the IoT is an ecosystem of connected devices that communicate with each other and exchange data. The integration of the IoT and the worldwide web has led to the creation of new kinds of services and applications in different domains, such as real-time surveillance, plant disease diagnosis, remote healthcare, real-time disease diagnosis, precision agriculture, air quality monitoring, and so on [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. In general, IoT facilitates us to connect our digital belongings to the worldwide web, anytime, anywhere in the world [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ], as depicted in Figure 1 .…”

“…The IoT ecosystem involves a wide range of devices, protocols, and platforms from various manufacturers [ 4 ]. Achieving seamless interoperability and compatibility among these different components can be challenging whereas lack of standardized communication protocols and fragmentation within the IoT industry can hinder device connectivity and hinder the integration of IoT systems [ 4 , 5 ].…”

“…As the number of IoT devices increases, managing and scaling the infrastructure becomes more complex [ 4 , 5 ]. Connecting and coordinating a large number of devices, managing data flows, and ensuring efficient data processing and analysis require robust systems and architectures.…”

“…IoT devices heavily rely on network connectivity and uninterrupted Internet access [ 4 , 5 ]. Network outages, connectivity issues, or server downtime can impact the functionality of IoT systems.…”