A cloud-fog distributed trust service for wireless sensor networks

In wireless sensor networks (WSNs), data aggregation techniques are used to reduce energy consumption of the sensors and extend the network lifetime. Recent work in this area considers the utilization of external mobile agents (elements) in data aggregation to further improve the WSN lifespan. The sensitivity of data collected by WSNs varies based on the application environment, necessitating data aggregation that adheres to specific conditions and constraints. One of the challenges in using external mobile elements is establishing trust between these elements and WSNs to ensure that data aggregation conditions set by the WSNs are met. In this paper, we propose a fog-cloud framework for a distributed trust service that enables WSNs to recruit trusted mobile elements for data aggregation. Our proposed trust framework provides WSNs with the flexibility to align their trust policy with the conditions of their data aggregation processes, facilitating efficient access to trust services. Simulation results demonstrate that our framework reduces energy loss while ensuring consistent and reliable data aggregation in WSNs.