The Secure and Scalable Internet of Things (SSI) model is a network platform designed to support a diverse range of IoT devices, providing scalability and implementing effective encryption and authentication. With the rise of quantum computing, Nth Degree Truncated Polynomial Ring Units (NTRUs) have been identified as an optimal post-quantum cryptography (PQC) algorithm for IoT devices with limited computational capabilities.
The SSI model integrates NTRUs for a lightweight PQC solution and uses SSIPQM (Post Quantum MACsec) to enhance its initial authentication structure. Tests on Raspberry Pi 3B based IoT devices showed SSIPQM to be an effective Zero Trust-based IoT network platform, safeguarding data transmission against potential quantum threats.
What is the Secure and Scalable Internet of Things Model?
The Secure and Scalable Internet of Things (SSI) model is a network platform designed to accommodate a diverse range of IoT devices. It provides scalability and implements effective many-to-many and end-to-end encryption across extensive regions. The SSI model is crucial for the secure deployment of network platforms tailored for IoT devices. The encryption of data transmission is equally as important as the process of authentication in this context.
The SSI model is designed to accommodate a diverse range of IoT devices. This means that it can support a wide variety of devices, from small sensors to large industrial machines. This scalability is crucial in the world of IoT, where the number of connected devices is expected to reach into the billions in the coming years. The SSI model also implements effective many-to-many and end-to-end encryption across extensive regions. This means that data transmitted between devices is secure, regardless of the distance or number of devices involved.
The SSI model is not just about encryption, though. It also includes a process of authentication. This is a crucial step in ensuring that only authorized devices can connect to the network. Without proper authentication, a malicious device could potentially gain access to the network and cause significant damage. Therefore, the SSI model includes robust authentication protocols to ensure the security of the network.
How does Quantum Computing Impact the SSI Model?
With the emergence of quantum computing, secure public key exchange mechanisms have become important. Among the various post-quantum cryptography (PQC) algorithms assessed, Nth Degree Truncated Polynomial Ring Units (NTRUs) have emerged as an optimally suited PQC algorithm for IoT devices constrained by limited computational capabilities.
Quantum computing is a new and emerging field that has the potential to revolutionize many areas of technology. One of the areas that quantum computing could have a significant impact on is cryptography. Traditional cryptographic algorithms rely on the difficulty of certain mathematical problems for their security. However, quantum computers could potentially solve these problems much more quickly than traditional computers, rendering these algorithms insecure.
To counter this threat, researchers have been developing post-quantum cryptography (PQC) algorithms. These algorithms are designed to be secure even against quantum computers. Among the various PQC algorithms that have been assessed, Nth Degree Truncated Polynomial Ring Units (NTRUs) have emerged as an optimally suited PQC algorithm for IoT devices. NTRUs are particularly well-suited for IoT devices because they require less computational power than other PQC algorithms. This makes them ideal for use in devices with limited computational capabilities, such as many IoT devices.
What is the Role of NTRUs in the SSI Model?
NTRUs have been integrated with SSI as a lightweight PQC solution. Moreover, SSIPQM (Post Quantum MACsec) enhances the SSI’s initial authentication structure to minimize PQCTLS session attempts and protect the SSI’s important configuration information. When applying TLS with PQC for secret key exchange purposes, it was verified that this approach ensures stable performance in IoT environments.
The integration of NTRUs with the SSI model provides a lightweight PQC solution. This means that the SSI model can provide robust security without requiring a significant amount of computational power. This is crucial for IoT devices, which often have limited computational capabilities. The use of NTRUs allows these devices to securely communicate with each other without overloading their processors.
In addition to providing a lightweight PQC solution, the integration of NTRUs with the SSI model also enhances the model’s initial authentication structure. This is done through the use of SSIPQM (Post Quantum MACsec), which minimizes PQCTLS session attempts and protects the SSI’s important configuration information. This further enhances the security of the SSI model, ensuring that only authorized devices can connect to the network.
When applying TLS with PQC for secret key exchange purposes, it was verified that this approach ensures stable performance in IoT environments. This means that the SSI model can securely exchange keys with other devices, even in challenging IoT environments. This further demonstrates the robustness and versatility of the SSI model.
How Effective is the SSIPQM in IoT Devices?
Upon the implementation of the proposed SSIPQM on Raspberry Pi 3B based IoT devices, SSIPQM exhibited acceptable performance at security levels from 80 to 128 and achieved a minimum speed improvement of 161% over RSA at security levels above 160. It can be concluded that SSIPQM stands out as an effective Zero Trust-based IoT network platform, demonstrating its viability and efficiency in safeguarding data transmission against potential quantum threats.
The effectiveness of the SSIPQM was tested on Raspberry Pi 3B based IoT devices. These devices are commonly used in a variety of IoT applications, making them a good test case for the SSIPQM. The results of these tests were promising, with the SSIPQM exhibiting acceptable performance at security levels from 80 to 128.
Not only did the SSIPQM perform well in these tests, but it also achieved a minimum speed improvement of 161% over RSA at security levels above 160. This is a significant improvement, and it demonstrates the potential of the SSIPQM to provide robust security for IoT devices without sacrificing performance.
In conclusion, the SSIPQM stands out as an effective Zero Trust-based IoT network platform. The Zero Trust model is a security concept centered on the belief that organizations should not automatically trust anything inside or outside its perimeters and instead must verify anything and everything trying to connect to its systems before granting access. The SSIPQM’s performance in tests demonstrates its viability and efficiency in safeguarding data transmission against potential quantum threats, making it a promising solution for securing IoT networks.
Publication details: “Secure and Scalable Internet of Things Model Using Post-Quantum MACsec”
Publication Date: 2024-05-16
Authors: Ju Hee Choi and Junwon Lee
Source: Applied sciences
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/app14104215
