Secure and Lightweight Cluster-Based User Authentication Protocol for IoMT Deployment.

Area of Science:

• Cybersecurity
• Internet of Medical Things (IoMT)
• Network Security

Background:

• Authentication is crucial for Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) security, but traditional methods struggle with resource-limited sensors and evolving cyber-attacks.
• Increasing cyber-attacks on IoMT devices threaten patient privacy due to vulnerabilities in low-cost sensor hardware.
• Existing authentication techniques may not be suitable for the unique constraints of IoMT sensor devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose an efficient three-factor cluster-based user authentication protocol (3ECAP) for IoMT environments.
• To enhance security for IoMT sensor devices against sophisticated cyber-attacks.
• To ensure patient privacy and data integrity in connected healthcare systems.

Main Methods:

• Developed a three-factor cluster-based user authentication protocol (3ECAP).
• Implemented fine-grained access control using Merkle trees for secure user-sensor cluster association.
• Conducted formal and non-formal security analysis using Proverif and NS3 simulations.

Main Results:

• 3ECAP establishes secure associations with fine-grained access control, segmenting permissions effectively.
• The protocol demonstrates robustness against privilege escalation attacks.
• Simulation results confirm 3ECAP's effectiveness against cyber-attacks and its suitability for resource-constrained IoMT environments.

Conclusions:

• 3ECAP provides an efficient and secure authentication solution for the Internet of Medical Things.
• The protocol addresses the security challenges posed by limited resources and advanced cyber threats in IoMT.
• 3ECAP enhances patient privacy and data security within the IoMT ecosystem.