METHODS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR SECURE INTEGRATION OF THE ETHEREUM BLOCKCHAIN WITH THE INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT)

Abstract

The article examines methods and information technologies aimed at ensuring the secure integration of the Ethereum blockchain with Internet of Things (IoT) systems. The relevance of the study is driven by the rapid development of IoT, which is accompanied by increasing cybersecurity threats, including unauthorized data access, man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks, device identifier spoofing, and the low transparency of centralized systems. The use of Ethereum blockchain technology, particularly smart contracts, opens new opportunities for creating decentralized security management models for IoT devices, enhancing trust levels, automating processes, and minimizing third-party interference risks.

The “Problem statement” section outlines the key challenges in securing IoT networks, including the vulnerabilities of centralized solutions, limited computational resources of devices, and the need to develop autonomous access control systems. The “Analysis of Recent Research and Publications” section summarizes modern approaches to integrating Ethereum blockchain into the IoT field, including tokenized identification mechanisms, access control, and transaction processing using smart contracts. It is noted that leading researchers suggest Layer-2 solutions (state channels, zk-rollups, Plasma) aimed at reducing the load on the main blockchain and improving scalability.

The aim of the article is to systematize modern methods of integrating the Ethereum blockchain with IoT and develop recommendations for their implementation, considering the limited resources of devices. The “Research results” section presents a secure IoT system architecture concept based on decentralized account management, local storage of cryptographic keys on devices, the use of optimized transaction signing algorithms, and the introduction of a hybrid data storage model based on IPFS. The proposed model minimizes the risk of unauthorized access, increases transparency in the interaction between IoT devices, and reduces computational resource costs.

The “Conclusions and prospects for further research” section emphasizes that the implementation of the Ethereum blockchain in IoT promotes the development of secure decentralized platforms. However, it requires addressing issues such as energy consumption, transaction costs, and optimizing client applications for low-performance devices. Future research should focus on developing effective scalability tools, adapting smart contracts to IoT specifics, and improving integration with cloud computing platforms for storing large data sets.