Architectures, Benefits, Security, and Privacy Issues of Internet of Nano Things: A Comprehensive Survey, Opportunities, and Research Challenges

The Internet of Things (IoT) has profoundly impacted today’s world. Recent technological advancements in the Internet and Information Communication (ICT) have paved the way for revolutionary technologies, making life easier for humankind. IoT has found applications in almost every sector, enabling the connectivity of digital objects to the Internet. This technology has undergone significant advancements, leading to the emergence of a new paradigm called the Internet of Nano Things (IoNT). IoNT represents the latest evolution of IoT and has garnered attention from researchers and scientists. By combining nanotechnology with IoT, IoNT offers a more advanced paradigm than its generic counterpart, potentially reshaping the current IoT landscape. However, these limitless benefits come with challenges that persist in both IoT and the emerging IoNT ecosystem. Moreover, additional challenges need to be addressed due to the miniature nature and novelty of the IoNT ecosystem. The lack of research in the field of IoNT has motivated us to undertake this study. Our research aims to highlight the security and privacy challenges specific to IoNT and nano communication. Furthermore, we examine important architectures related to IoNT, nanoscale communication, real-life applications of IoNT, as well as simulators and testbeds useful for IoNT. We also address challenges associated with the incorporation of novel technologies, primarily Artificial Intelligence (AI), into IoNT. To achieve this, we provide a detailed review of existing works related to the IoNT ecosystem, emphasizing security and privacy concerns. Additionally, we explore the opportunities and future directions for IoNT, serving as a reference for further research.