Blockchain-based Lamport Merkle Digital Signature: Authentication tool in IoT healthcare

【Author】 Alzubi, Jafar A.

【Source】COMPUTER COMMUNICATIONS

【影响因子】5.047

【Abstract】Internet of Things (IoT) includes medical devices, servers, and applications linked using computer networks to collect and share data. Recently there is a massive surge in IoT-enabled applications, especially in the medical field. Medical devices, like intravenous pumps, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines, infusion pumps, and ventilators, are connected with the hospital networks to enhance the quality and efficiency of delivering medical care. Integrated with the cloud server, IoT improves patients' lifestyles and minimizes the time and cost by efficiently managing the medical resources. However, due to the presence of malicious users, sensitive patient data is often compromised. Motivated and driven by these factors, this work proposes a blockchain-assisted highly secure system for medical IoT devices using Lamport Merkle Digital Signature (LMDS). Initially, the Lamport Merkle Digital Signature Generation (LMDSG) model performs the task of authenticating IoT devices by constructing a tree in which the leaves symbolize sensitive patient medical data's hash function. Further, a Centralized Healthcare Controller (CHC) performs the task of determining the root of the LMDSG by using Lamport Merkle Digital Signature Verification (LMDSV). In this verification process, when the hash of the public key 'pb'(key), is equal to leaf 'Pg(n)', then it is the root of the tree, and the signature is valid. In this way, the proposed LMDS technique efficiently identifies malicious user behavior with minimum Computational Overhead (CO) and Computational Time (CT). The proposed LMDS technique's performance is analyzed in terms of CO, CT, and authentication accuracy. The experimental analysis proves that the proposed LMDS technique ensures higher security and minimum CT and CO in medical IoT systems than other existing methods.

【Keywords】Authentications; Blockchain; Internet of Things; Medical data; Digital signature; Malicious users; Lamport Merkle Digital Signature

【发表时间】2021 44635

【收录时间】2022-01-02

【文献类型】

【主题类别】

--