Secure Data Transfer Based on a Multi-Level Blockchain for Internet of Vehicles.

Area of Science:

• Cybersecurity
• Distributed Systems
• Internet of Vehicles (IoV)

Background:

• The decentralized nature of blockchain and the Internet of Vehicles (IoV) makes them highly compatible.
• Existing security architectures in IoV face challenges with single-point failures and efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel multi-level blockchain framework for securing information in the Internet of Vehicles.
• To enhance transaction security, identity verification, and non-repudiation using ECDSA.
• To improve the overall efficiency and robustness of IoV security systems.

Main Methods:

• Design of a multi-level blockchain architecture with intra-cluster and inter-cluster blockchains.
• Implementation of a new transaction block structure incorporating ECDSA for digital signatures.
• Utilization of a threshold key management protocol on a cloud computing platform to prevent PKI single-point failure.
• Leveraging Roadside Units (RSUs) for block management and Base Stations (BSs) for intra-cluster blockchain management.

Main Results:

• The proposed framework ensures the security of On-Board Unit (OBU), RSU, Base Station (BS), and Virtual Machine (VM) components.
• Distributed operations across intra-cluster and inter-cluster blockchains significantly improve block processing efficiency.
• The ECDSA ensures the integrity of the Merkle tree root, transaction identity, and non-repudiation.
• A secret-sharing and secure-map-reducing architecture enhances security in cloud environments.

Conclusions:

• The multi-level blockchain framework effectively enhances the security and operational efficiency of the Internet of Vehicles.
• The integration of ECDSA and a novel block structure provides robust protection for transaction data.
• The proposed decentralized scheme is well-suited for connected vehicles, improving blockchain execution efficiency and overall system security.