Efficient Blockchain Mechanisms for Ensuring Data Integrity in IoT Systems

Abstract

In the evolving landscape of the Internet of Things (IoT), ensuring data integrity and traceability remains a critical challenge due to the vulnerability of low-power, resource-constrained devices and the use of wireless communication technologies like LoRaWAN. Traditional blockchain solutions, while promising for enhancing security, are typically unsuitable for IoT environments because of their high computational and communication requirements. To address this limitation, we propose a lightweight blockchain-based framework specifically tailored for IoT networks using the LoRaWAN protocol. Our system introduces a modified distributed ledger approach that eliminates the need for complex consensus mechanisms and resource-intensive cryptographic operations, enabling practical deployment on constrained devices. Despite LoRaWAN’s inherent star topology, our design simulates a logical peer-to-peer (P2P) communication model by linking IoT nodes through local blockchain chains. Each device maintains its own local chain of data uploads, allowing for decentralized validation and improved data traceability. Experimental evaluation demonstrates the feasibility and performance of our system in maintaining data integrity and traceability with minimal network overhead, offering an effective and scalable security solution for next-generation IoT networks.