Design and Development of Optimal Security Algorithms at Physical Layer for IoT Applications

Abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT) is playing a major role in today s digital transformation, spreading into all kinds of industries, healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, and even our homes. Conventional security tools are not always applicable for IoT devices because most IoT devices possess constrained processing capabilities and a limited battery life. Securing the IoT landscape, particularly at the physical layer, is a central objective of ongoing research. In this research, Dynamic Encryption Decryption Algorithm (DEnDecA) was designed and developed. To test the vulnerability of designs of research, Eavesdropping attacks were applied to encrypted data and Time analysis, Power analysis and Throughput analysis was observed. To develop the designed algorithm on physical layer protocols, two paradigms were used. AES-32, AES-64 and AES-128 algorithms were designed in MATLAB. To enhance the security, DEnDecA algorithm was also designed and enveloped on the downscaled algorithms. To develop the design, Xilinx UltraScale ZCU06 FPGA was used on ZigBee Protocol. Extending the work, AES-32, AES-64 and AES-128 algorithms along with DEnDecA were designed in PYTHON using Jupyter Notebook environment. These designs were developed on XILINX PYNQ-ZU UltraScale FPGA kit using on-board Bluetooth Low Energy protocol module. In the results, it was seen that there is a negligible increase in the implementation time requirements in scale of microseconds with and without DEnDecA. The significance of this work extends beyond technical innovations. As IoT technologies continue to reshape industries and daily life, the need for robust, scalable, and secure frameworks becomes even more critical. The deployment of such a framework could lead to more efficient, secure, and sustainable IoT systems, promoting the responsible and ethical use of IoT technologies in both consumer and industrial sectors. newline