Quantum-aware secure blockchain intrusion detection system for industrial IoT networks

Area of Science:

• Cybersecurity
• Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)
• Quantum Computing Security

Background:

• Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) systems face escalating cyber threats, including ransomware, APTs, and DoS attacks.
• The advent of quantum computing poses a significant future risk, potentially compromising current cryptographic standards like RSA and ECC.
• Existing security measures are insufficient against sophisticated attacks and the emerging quantum computing landscape.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel Quantum-Aware Secure Blockchain Intrusion Detection System (QASB-IDS) for robust IIoT security.
• To integrate intrusion detection capabilities with post-quantum blockchain security and quantum key distribution (QKD).
• To enhance the resilience of IIoT infrastructures against both classical and quantum-enabled cyber adversaries.

Main Methods:

• Developed a hierarchical consortium blockchain for tamper-proof, decentralized storage of IIoT intrusion data.
• Implemented a lightweight hybrid signature-anomaly detection approach using a CNN-LSTM model for IIoT traffic analysis.
• Integrated lattice-based post-quantum signatures for secure model updates and QKD for critical gateway session key protection.

Main Results:

• The QASB-IDS demonstrated improved intrusion detection accuracy and reduced false alarm rates.
• The system provides strong resilience against both current classical cyberattacks and future quantum-capable adversaries.
• Validated using Edge-IIoTset, SWaT, and XIIoTID datasets, confirming its effectiveness on constrained devices.

Conclusions:

• The proposed QASB-IDS offers a viable solution for securing IIoT environments against evolving cyber and quantum threats.
• The hybrid approach combining blockchain, advanced IDS, and QKD significantly enhances IIoT security posture.
• Future IIoT security frameworks must incorporate post-quantum cryptography to ensure long-term data integrity and system availability.