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Internet of Nano-Things Forensics
capabilities of diverse nano-things. For this, future research trends should be along the
following three main directions (Jornet and Akyildiz 2012):
• Develop Novel Authentication Methods: In various envisioned applications, it
is critical to certify the identity of the transmitting or receiving nanodevices. Due
to this, a very large number of nanodevices in the IoNT environment like IoMNT,
traditional authentication solutions that are based on complex authentication infrastructures and servers, are not suitable for nanodevices. For this, novel authentication methods that exploit the network hierarchical structure of the IoNT are
required. For example, nano-things might need to only authenticate themselves to
the closer nanorouter or nano-to-micro interface; this can be done by means of a
unique EM signature, which is a well-established property of terahertz radiation.
• Develop New Data Integrity Mechanisms: In communication networks, it is
important to guarantee that an adversary cannot change the information during
the transmission process. Data can be modified either when stored or when being
transmitted. Due to the expectedly very limited memory of miniature nanothings, the first type of attack is unlikely. However, new techniques to protect the
information in nanomemories will be developed by exploiting the quantum properties of single-atom memories to implement practical solutions from the realm
of quantum encryption. In its turn, despite the information being transmitted at
very high bit-rates, guaranteeing the data integrity while the information is being
transmitted requires the development of novel safe communication techniques for
IoNT environment.
• Develop Novel User Privacy and Security Mechanisms: Nano-things can be
used to detect, measure, and transmit very sensitive and confidential information, which in any case should be available to non-intended addressees.
Moreover, due to their miniature size, nano-things will be usually imperceptible and omnipresent. So, new mechanisms to guarantee the privacy in the IoNT
are required. Among others, methods to guarantee that a user can determine
and limit the type of information that nano-things can collect and transmit are
needed. Moreover, physical-layer security methods need to be explored to prevent problems like eavesdropping.
Novel security and privacy mechanisms will also be needed to protect sensitive data
gathered by nanosensors, which can include detailed chemical and biological samples
from individuals. For example, molecular nanonetworks could gather data about people
infected with a harmful virus to shed light on the nature and severity of the disease.
Safeguards must be in place to ensure that such data does not fall into the wrong hands.
There are many challenges like information collected from nanosensors might include
individuals’ molecular and genetic data. On the other side, there are also some solutions to
solve it as a solution by implementing safeguards to ensure that sensitive IoNT data do not
fall into the wrong hands (Balasubramaniam and Kangasharju 2013).
7.2.3.3 Data Management and Analysis in IoNT
In traditional sensor networks, the data acquisition and collection process commonly
occurs via a static tree where each node in the tree senses the data and then passes it
along the tree to the sink node at the root. This way of sensing could lead to enormous
Internet of Nano-Things Forensics
capabilities of diverse nano-things. For this, future research trends should be along the
following three main directions (Jornet and Akyildiz 2012):
• Develop Novel Authentication Methods: In various envisioned applications, it
is critical to certify the identity of the transmitting or receiving nanodevices. Due
to this, a very large number of nanodevices in the IoNT environment like IoMNT,
traditional authentication solutions that are based on complex authentication infrastructures and servers, are not suitable for nanodevices. For this, novel authentication methods that exploit the network hierarchical structure of the IoNT are
required. For example, nano-things might need to only authenticate themselves to
the closer nanorouter or nano-to-micro interface; this can be done by means of a
unique EM signature, which is a well-established property of terahertz radiation.
• Develop New Data Integrity Mechanisms: In communication networks, it is
important to guarantee that an adversary cannot change the information during
the transmission process. Data can be modified either when stored or when being
transmitted. Due to the expectedly very limited memory of miniature nanothings, the first type of attack is unlikely. However, new techniques to protect the
information in nanomemories will be developed by exploiting the quantum properties of single-atom memories to implement practical solutions from the realm
of quantum encryption. In its turn, despite the information being transmitted at
very high bit-rates, guaranteeing the data integrity while the information is being
transmitted requires the development of novel safe communication techniques for
IoNT environment.
• Develop Novel User Privacy and Security Mechanisms: Nano-things can be
used to detect, measure, and transmit very sensitive and confidential information, which in any case should be available to non-intended addressees.
Moreover, due to their miniature size, nano-things will be usually imperceptible and omnipresent. So, new mechanisms to guarantee the privacy in the IoNT
are required. Among others, methods to guarantee that a user can determine
and limit the type of information that nano-things can collect and transmit are
needed. Moreover, physical-layer security methods need to be explored to prevent problems like eavesdropping.
Novel security and privacy mechanisms will also be needed to protect sensitive data
gathered by nanosensors, which can include detailed chemical and biological samples
from individuals. For example, molecular nanonetworks could gather data about people
infected with a harmful virus to shed light on the nature and severity of the disease.
Safeguards must be in place to ensure that such data does not fall into the wrong hands.
There are many challenges like information collected from nanosensors might include
individuals’ molecular and genetic data. On the other side, there are also some solutions to
solve it as a solution by implementing safeguards to ensure that sensitive IoNT data do not
fall into the wrong hands (Balasubramaniam and Kangasharju 2013).
7.2.3.3 Data Management and Analysis in IoNT
In traditional sensor networks, the data acquisition and collection process commonly
occurs via a static tree where each node in the tree senses the data and then passes it
along the tree to the sink node at the root. This way of sensing could lead to enormous