Design of a Robust Blockchain-Based Command Assetization Model for Industrial Internet Devices

Abstract

The rapid proliferation of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) systems has intensified security challenges associated with command and control mechanisms, where unauthorized or tampered commands can lead to severe physical and operational consequences. This research proposes a robust blockchain-based Command Assetization Model (CAM) that treats industrial control commands as cryptographically verifiable digital assets rather than transient messages. The proposed framework integrates a permissioned blockchain, secure off-chain storage, and lightweight device-side verification to ensure command integrity, authenticity, freshness, and fine-grained authorization. A comprehensive system and threat model are defined to address common IIoT attack vectors, including replay attacks, command injection, and unauthorized execution, while respecting industrial constraints such as latency sensitivity and device heterogeneity. Extensive simulation-based experiments were conducted on a realistic IIoT testbed comprising heterogeneous industrial devices and a permissioned blockchain network. The performance evaluation focused on command delivery latency, tamper detection rate, and blockchain overhead under varying workloads and adversarial conditions. Results demonstrate that the proposed CAM achieves near-perfect tamper detection rates exceeding 99.8% while maintaining predictable and acceptable command execution latency suitable for supervisory and control-level industrial applications. Compared with traditional centralized security mechanisms, CAM provides significantly stronger security guarantees, improved auditability, and resilient command governance, establishing it as a viable solution for secure next-generation industrial command and control systems.