Version Control Using Distributed Ledger Technologies for Internet of Things Device Software Updates

摘要

The number of installed Internet of Things (IoT) devices is growing rapidly and securing these IoT installations is an important task that may require technical knowledge that the owners of these devices do not always possess. Although experts have pointed out, that security should always be a priority when creating IoT products, the challenges are numerous and security solutions are not always targeted to decentralized or distributed architectures. In this paper, we explore the mechanisms for creating a method for a distributed IoT software update service that utilize distributed ledger technologies, such as Ethereum smart contracts and the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS). Our aim is to present a method that offers a more transparent version control of updates than current solutions, which are mostly conceptually centralized. We also aim to avoid relying on a central node for distributing updates and to create a fully secured and automated process for update management.