Secure and Reliable Communication Protocols in Industrial IoT Networks

Resum

The security and reliability of network protocols have undergone a major transformation in recent years, and new network architectures such as industrial Internet of Things (IoT) networks have led to the emergence of new communication paradigms such as decentralised Blockchain networks. These networks represent a substantial advance in terms of system security, but without neglecting the physical security of IoT devices, which must be protected with hardware security elements. The joint application of Blockchain technologies with hardware security is essential in these new architectures. This doctoral thesis is the result of the research carried out on these technologies and their application in industrial IoT environments. Thus, this work describes the integration of Blockchain technologies and hardware security devices, pointing out which protocols and requirements are necessary to carry out a successful integration. Subsequently, the application of Blockchain and hardware security elements in virtualised environments has been investigated by applying them to microservices-based architectures. The use of Blockchain in industrial IoT networks introduces new concepts such as Oracles, which are entities that provide truthful information to the Blockchain network. This concept is discussed in this thesis, where a design is proposed using a two-core hardware platform isolating one of them for the execution of a secure environment. The prototype of this concept is using in a logistic use case for wine supply chain. Finally, a use case is presented, by simulating a smart grid where different entities exchange energy certificates without the intervention of third parties, thus automating processes through smart contracts. The research has been carried out under a doctoral contract at the premises of Infineon Technologies AG, at its headquarters in Munich, Germany.