Blockchain-enhanced attribute-based encryption architecture with feasibility analysis

Abstract

In today’s digital landscape, data security is critical, particularly in the Internet of Things (IoT), where large volumes of sensitive data are exchanged. Traditional encryption methods like RSA and AES face challenges in balancing security and performance, exposing systems to advanced cyber threats. To address these issues, blockchain technology offers decentralized, tamper-resistant data protection that enhances trust and transparency. Attribute-Based Encryption (ABE) schemes have been developed, often combining asymmetric and symmetric encryption for efficiency and security. However, gaps remain in practical deployment due to underexplored network architectures and limited feasibility simulations. This study proposes an end-to-end security architecture integrating ABE with Linear Secret Sharing Scheme (LSSS) access policies and blockchain-based distributed key management. The system’s feasibility was evaluated using Network Simulator 3 (NS3) within a simulated IoT network. Results demonstrate a lightweight and scalable solution suitable for constrained environments. Numerical simulations showed consensus times as low as 0.25 seconds for key agreement and 0.7 seconds for message consensus, even in resource-constrained settings. For large networks, consensus times reached as low as 0.75 seconds. The system also achieved an average throughput of 0.3 transactions per second in low-resource environments. These outcomes highlight the system’s potential for secure, efficient data transmission in IoT and other distributed systems.