-
By:
- Yongli Mou, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
-
A tool for decentralized identity and access management in Forestry 4.0.
-
#self-sovereign-identity #access control management #IoT #smart forestry
In recent years, the rapid proliferation of digital technologies and the Internet of Things (IoT) has catalyzed a transformation towards interconnected systems. These systems are now ubiquitous, generating voluminous data at previously unseen speeds. Alongside IoT, innovative technologies continue to drive digital transformation across various domains. In the forestry sector, the application of Industry 4.0-compliant concepts, known as Forestry 4.0, holds the promise of revolutionizing forest management and conservation by offering IoT-based capabilities to monitor and manage forest resources.
The exchange of data in IoT systems necessitates robust security measures to maintain trustworthiness. Crucial components like authentication and authorization provide this security, ensuring that only authorized users and devices gain access to sensitive data. Traditional Identity and Access Control Management (IAM) systems in IoT rely heavily on centralized structures for managing authentication and authorization. However, these centralized systems confront significant challenges such as scalability, sovereignty, and security. The increasing volume of interconnected devices escalates these issues, often leading to network bottlenecks and scaling difficulties. The storage of user data and identity-related information in centralized repositories further diminishes sovereignty over these data. Additionally, centralized systems present security vulnerabilities such as single points of failure, putting user data at risk of both accidental misuse and malicious attacks.
These challenges become particularly salient within the context of Forestry 4.0 due to its inherently decentralized and heterogeneous nature. Activities involving various stakeholders often occur in rural areas, and their interconnection mandates intensive cross-organizational cooperation while maintaining secure and transparent communication. Furthermore, the diversity of technology and knowledge supporting forest activities adds another layer of complexity. It is clear from both practical evidence and research in the field that a decentralized solution for authentication and authorization is required to support the existing decentralized structure of forestry. We explore the potential of self-sovereign identity as a means to address these challenges and optimize access control management within Forestry 4.0.