New Study by Zhou Examines Energy-Aware Security Systems in the Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) employs sensors and the Internet for information exchange, enabling intelligent identification, monitoring, and management. It has deeply impacted various sectors of the economy, including energy, medical care, and security, transforming social activities and lifestyles. Regrettably, IoT systems suffer from two main challenges, namely sustainability and security. Hence, pondering how to enhance sustainable and energy-efficient practices for IoT systems to mitigate risks becomes a worthwhile endeavor. A new study by TSYS School computer scientist Yi Zhou and his colleagues Peixiong He and Xiao Qin, both of Auburn University, addresses these issues by conducting a survey of energy-aware security mechanisms in the Internet of Things. Specifically, their study, which appears in the current issue of Future Internet, examines the challenges that IoT is facing in terms of energy efficiency and security and inspects current energy-saving and privacy-preserving technologies for IoT systems. Among the energy-saving technologies discussed in the study are low-power microcontrollers, energy harvesting and sleep mode, power management, optimized operating systems, and dynamic network configuration, among others. In terms of privacy-preserving technologies, the authors discuss secure hardware components, secure booting, tamper resistant hardware, secure enclaves, encryption modules, secure communication protocols, and network segmentation, among others. The study next delineates a vision for the future of IoT, emphasizing energy-aware security mechanisms, while it concludes with an outline of the challenges encountered in achieving energy-aware security mechanisms, as well as the direction of future research. "Motivated by this study, we envision advancements in the IoT that not only harness the benefits of science and technology but also enhance the security and safety of our data," Zhou stated.