A dynamic configurable model for addressing trust and privacy in IoT networks

The proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT) heralds a transformative era where collaborative technologies seamlessly capture, analyse, and interpret environmental data in our daily lives. Positioned as one of the most influential technologies of the 21st century, IoT presents vast possibilities for enhanced services in healthcare, smart homes, and industries. However, this rapid integration of IoT technologies in personal devices and service infrastructures exposes users to escalating threats and digital attacks.

This thesis investigates the limitations inherent in existing IoT models, notably the reliance on outdated centralised architectures built upon implicit trust paradigms, which hinders the widespread adoption of IoT technologies. The research introduces a novel and dynamic configurable model, the Distributed Trust Enhancing Framework for IoT (DTEFI), tailored to mitigate security, privacy, and trust concerns in IoT. Departing from the conventional centralised model, DTEFI leverages Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), Ethereum Smart Contracts, MQTT, IPFS, and a novel trust model to address the identified issues in IoT. This innovative approach is thoroughly tested in a simulated community of decentralised nodes typifying an Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) use case, providing users with secure, private, and trustless interactions and transactions within the simulated AAL community.

DTEFI represents a paradigm shift in the design and development of IoT systems by eliminating the reliance on implicit trust mechanisms used in centralised models. Test results validate the design's feasibility while illuminating areas requiring optimisation to mitigate delays. Rigorous testing identifies optimal configurations for DTEFI, showcasing its adaptability in scenarios characterised by limited or absent trust among system actors.

The successful implementation of the proposed architecture and model serves as a testament to its feasibility, particularly in environments where trust is scarce. By amalgamating tools and technologies initially designed for diverse systems, DTEFI establishes a Proof-of-Concept solution, empowering users to retain control over their data, manage privacy effectively, and enhance data security without recourse to the traditional brokered model.