PufParkChain: Secure and Smart Parking Based on PUF Authentication and Lightweight Blockchain

Smart Parking Systems have emerged as a transformative solution to address the growing challenges associated with urbanization and increasing vehicular traffic. Such system integrates sensors, cameras, and other IoT connected devices to monitor parking spaces in real time. However, there are many security vulnerabilities in existing solutions, especially when it comes to car authentication at parking entry points. IoT sensors my be susceptible to Cyber-attacks and fraudulent activities, such as car theft, can exploit these vulnerabilities due to limited built-in security features. The reliability of authentication systems, based on IoT sensors can also be compromised by factors such as extreme weather conditions and physical damage. The cyber-physical solution we propose relies on Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) for identification and authentication in IoT devices to mitigate these challenges. The use of PUFs enhances the reliability and security of smart parking systems against unauthorized access and fraud. Furthermore, to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of the data within the smart parking ecosystem and to improve authentication process, we propose the implementation of a tailored blockchain framework. This framework incorporates lightweight local blockchains dedicated to individual parking slots, complemented by a central blockchain that manages data at the city level. The experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the PUF computation process, showcasing an acceptable runtime for practical implementation. In the experimental results, we evaluated the SRAM used for the PUF implementation process and demonstrated its stability (intra HD equals to 2.25.