Innovative security and compression for constrained IoT networks

Low-Power Wide-Area Networks (LPWAN) are a type of wireless communication technologies that enable efficient data transfer between low-power devices. This article explores the challenges of ensuring security in LPWANs and proposes a solution that combines two key mechanisms: Object Security for Constrained RESTful Environments (OSCORE) and Static Context Header Compression (SCHC). LPWANs are increasingly being used in Internet of Things (IoT) applications, but the features that endow these technologies with low power consumption and long range also make it necessary to adapt protocols and innovate in the approaches to achieve security while maintaining communications viable in technologies like these, in some cases with severe limitations. OSCORE provides end-to-end security for constrained devices, while SCHC enables efficient IP-based transmission over LPWANs. By combining these two protocols, the proposed solution aims to address the security and efficiency challenges of LPWANs, ensuring that IoT devices and data are protected from unauthorized access and manipulation. The article also presents experimental results demonstrating the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach using a real-life scenario, with industrial-grade hardware. The study concludes that the use of OSCORE and SCHC in LPWAN networks can significantly enhance the security and privacy of IoT devices.