2026/01/01 by Weiyu Wang, Keping Yu, Weizheng Wang +2
Computer Science · #Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) and Hardware Security #Security and Verification in Computing #Cryptographic Implementations and Security
paper · doi:10.1109/tce.2026.3663572
The Internet of Things (IoT) has transformed consumer devices by connecting smart home appliances, wearable health monitors, and personal devices that gather and share data. Cloud-assisted consumer IoT enhances these networks with improved data processing and storage capabilities for real-time analytics and personalized services. However, this open communication exposes consumer devices to risks including data leakage, eavesdropping, and tracking by malicious actors who increasingly employ AI-enabled attack techniques such as intelligent phishing and automated vulnerability exploitation. To address these challenges, we propose a lightweight authentication protocol for resource-constrained consumer IoT devices using bitwise operations and hash functions. We incorporate Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) and blockchain-based smart contracts to enhance security and efficiency while defending against AI-powered hardware attacks. PUFs provide unique device fingerprints resistant to AI-based cloning attacks, while smart contracts secure transactions and detect AI-generated fraudulent attempts. Security evaluation through formal verification demonstrates that our scheme offers stronger protection for consumer devices against both traditional and AI-enabled threats while maintaining lower computational and communication costs compared to existing solutions.