A Blockchain-Based Zero Trust Model for Privacy-Centric IoT Cybersecurity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63665/ngbyx646Keywords:
IoT Security, Blockchain, Zero Trust Architecture, Zero-Knowledge Proofs, Post-Quantum Cryptography, Quantum-Resilient Security, AES Encryption, Cybersecurity, Access Control, Privacy PreservationAbstract
The rapid expansion of Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystems has intensified the need for robust, scalable, and privacy-preserving security solutions. This research introduces a novel Unified Quantum-Resilient Blockchain– Zero Knowledge Proofs Privacy Authentication Framework (QBC-ZKPAF) aimed at enhancing security in decentralized IoT environments. The proposed framework integrates blockchain technology, Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA), and post-quantum cryptography to enable secure communication, fine-grained access control, and privacy-preserving authentication. It employs a hybrid Reinforcement-Lattice Blockchain Key Generation mechanism to produce quantum-resilient cryptographic keys, while a Deep Q-Network Multi-Factor
Secure Key (DQN-MFSK) model dynamically selects optimal keys based on system conditions. Furthermore, Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) are utilized to validate identities without revealing sensitive information, ensuring strong privacy guarantees.
The architecture ensures confidentiality, integrity, auditability, and traceability of all operations within the IoT network. Leveraging the immutability of blockchain, all access requests, data transactions, and device interactions are recorded in a tamper-proof ledger, enabling transparent monitoring and reliable post-event analysis. In the event of suspicious activities or security breaches, the system supports precise source tracing
through a secure tracing key maintained within the audit server under the Zero Trust framework. Additionally, decentralized identity management combined with multi-factor authentication minimizes reliance on centralized
authorities and reduces vulnerability to single-point failures.
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