Securing IoT data: Fog computing, blockchain, and tailored privacy-enhancing technologies in action

The inherent challenges associated with the Internet of Things (IoT), such as vulnerability to cyber threats and privacy issues, need the development of novel solutions to ensure secure and efficient handling of data. Fog computing resolves these concerns by facilitating data processing in proximity to edge devices, minimising latency, and improving real-time decision-making. Blockchain boosts security in fog-based systems by providing a tamper-proof and transparent ledger. However, exclusively prioritising privacy in fog-based blockchains may impede the practical execution. This article presents the FogBlock Connect paradigm, which combines Fog computing and Blockchain through the implementation of a tailored Proxy Re-encryption (PRE) algorithm inspired by BBS98. This strategy guarantees enhanced data confidentiality while simultaneously upholding operational effectiveness in fog-based blockchains for Internet of Things applications. The efficiency and effectiveness of the suggested PRE algorithm over typical encryption methods are confirmed by comprehensive simulations utilising the Fobsim simulator. The FogBlock Connect paradigm entails the transmission of updates from nearby IoT devices to Fog servers for the purpose of creating and securely storing global updates, hence improving efficiency and performance. The paradigm ensures robust privacy measures, mitigates risks of single-point failures, and facilitates precise access control, establishing a basis for secure and resilient IoT applications. The CCA resistant formal security proof provides further validation for the strength and effectiveness of the suggested approach.