A Lightweight Mutual Authentication Mechanism for Applications Utilizing Low-Power IoT Devices

Nowadays, Low-Power Internet of Things (LP-IoT) devices are widely utilized due to their affordability and low energy consumption. However, LP-IoT devices face significant security challenges, including data breaches, unauthorized access, and malicious attacks, due to their constrained hardware resources. These challenges are particularly critical in applications that involve the transmission of sensitive data. To enhance the security of LP-IoT devices, we propose a lightweight mutual authentication mechanism designed explicitly for LP-IoT devices. This mechanism utilizes simplified cryptographic operations to strike a balance between security requirements and resource constraints, thereby ensuring secure and reliable data transmission, as well as mutual authentication, between devices and servers. In addition, we demonstrate the potential of this mechanism in protecting data integrity and device security through a scenario in a financial technology application. Our proposed mechanism adapts to the characteristics of low-power devices while enhancing their security and practicality across different application environments, offering a secure and lightweight solution to the security challenges of LP-IoT devices.