Integrating Lightweight Algorithms with Blockchain for Secure and Efficient Authentication in VANETs

Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) play a pivotal role in enabling secure communication for intelligent transportation systems. However, existing authentication mechanisms often face challenges such as high computational overhead, scalability issues, and latency, particularly in resource-constrained environments. This paper proposes a novel framework that integrates lightweight algorithms with Blockchain technology to achieve secure and efficient authentication in VANETs. The proposed approach leverages Blockchain's decentralized trust management and tamper-proof ledger with the computational efficiency of lightweight algorithms like TESLA. This integration enables real-time authentication while ensuring data integrity, privacy, and scalability. The framework is designed to minimize latency and communication overhead, making it suitable for high-density urban environments. A detailed performance evaluation demonstrates the efficacy of the proposed method, highlighting significant improvements in scalability, security, and resource efficiency. This study provides a promising direction for addressing the diverse requirements of VANET applications while maintaining robust security standards.