Protection against Ransomware in Industrial Control Systems through Decentralization using Blockchain

Protection against Ransomware in Industrial Control Systems through Decentralization using Blockchain

연구 분야: Infrastructure

학회: 2023 20th Annual International Conference on Privacy, Security and Trust (PST)

Industrial control systems (ICSs), such as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, are increasingly popular for manufacturing applications, leading to significant improvements in efficiency and productivity. However, the vulnerability of these systems to ransomware attacks has become a major concern. This vulnerability is mainly due to the centralized nature of ICSs, which prioritize efficiency over security. To address this issue, this paper proposes a decentralized Blockchain-Based ICS (BBICS) architecture. Such architecture uses a peer-to-peer network of nodes to replicate critical data and distribute transactions using a consensus mechanism, which synchronizes nodes and resolves single points of failure. Additionally, BBICS encrypts critical data in a tamper-resistant manner to prevent attackers from decrypting or manipulating data. Moreover, zero-trust authorization and authentication further enhance security by preventing the broadcasting of ransomware attacks in internal networks of devices. The evaluation of the proposed system with respect to performance and reliability under normal and ransomware attack situations suggest BBICS’ feasibility and practicality.