BlockSIEM: Protecting Smart City Services through a Blockchain-based and Distributed SIEM

Area of Science:

• Cybersecurity
• Distributed Systems
• Internet of Things (IoT)

Background:

• The Internet of Things (IoT) enables smart city services but introduces significant cybersecurity threats.
• Existing security solutions struggle to manage the scale and complexity of IoT data.
• A need exists for robust, decentralized security frameworks for smart city infrastructure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose BlockSIEM, a blockchain-based distributed Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) framework.
• To enhance the security and integrity of data generated by IoT devices in smart cities.
• To leverage blockchain's inherent features for non-repudiation and traceability of security events.

Main Methods:

• Developed a framework utilizing IoT sentinels to monitor and generate security events.
• Implemented a distributed SIEM solution leveraging blockchain technology for secure event storage.
• Utilized Ethereum for the blockchain implementation and conducted validation through diverse use cases.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated the feasibility of the BlockSIEM framework through practical implementation and testing.
• Showcased blockchain's capability in ensuring non-repudiation and traceability of security events.
• Validated the effectiveness of IoT sentinels in protecting groups of IoT devices within smart city contexts.

Conclusions:

• BlockSIEM offers a promising solution for securing smart city services against emerging cybersecurity threats.
• Blockchain technology provides a robust foundation for decentralized and trustworthy security event management.
• The proposed framework effectively addresses the challenges of IoT security in complex urban environments.