Lightweight data protection framework for secure edge transmission using IOTA-MAM

Centralized security architectures and conventional encryption methods are often cumbersome for edge computing environments, where lightweight, efficient, and real-time processing is essential. This study proposes a lightweight data protection framework for secure edge transmission using IOTA-MAM. The solution uses IOTA to enhance data integrity, prevent tampering, and protect privacy at the edge. The Masked Authenticated Messaging protocol is optimized for more efficient batch message generation, delivery, and verification, reducing computational and communication burdens, particularly for edge devices with limited resources. When assessed under high load-2400 edge nodes managing 80,000 tasks-the system achieves an 85.7% recall rate, 11.2% task failure rate, and average service latency of 6.5 s. The results indicate that the proposed framework balances security, throughput, and latency, providing robust privacy and integrity guarantees while reducing operational overhead. This work contributes to a practical and scalable solution that meets the security and responsiveness demands of modern edge computing applications.