Next-Generation Security Solutions for the Internet of Secure Things (IoST)

Dear Colleagues,

The Internet of Things (IoT) has rapidly transformed sectors such as healthcare, transportation, industrial automation, critical infrastructure, and smart cities. However, its distributed nature, resource constraints, and lack of standardized security protocols make IoT networks highly vulnerable to cyber threats. These vulnerabilities lead to risks such as data breaches, unauthorized access, and privacy violations, especially in critical applications where data protection is essential. To address these challenges, the Internet of Secure Things (IoST) as a security-focused paradigm is introduced and designed to safeguard connected devices and data across critical applications. This Special Issue especially aims to explore innovative IoST solutions that enhance security, privacy, and reliability across diverse applications. IoST is a security-centric domain within the broader IoT that focuses on protecting connected devices and data through advanced cryptographic techniques, AI-driven security mechanisms, and decentralized trust models. By embedding security at every level, IoST aims to create resilient and trustworthy ecosystems capable of withstanding cyber threats for improving system reliability and ensuring a secure and scalable future for connected devices. The key objective of the Special Issue is to explore cutting-edge cryptographic solutions and next-generation security mechanisms for IoST, such as lightweight, scalable, and quantum-resistant techniques. Through these contributions, this Special Issue will establish resilient, future-proof security solutions to extend the adoption of IoT technologies in sensitive and critical domains. We invite original research, review articles, and case studies on, but not limited to, the following topics:

1. Lightweight cryptography for resource-constrained IoST devices;
2. Quantum-resistant cryptography for future-proof IoST security;
3. Blockchain-based security for IoST networks;
4. AI/ML for IoST security and anomaly detection;
5. Decentralized trust models and privacy in IoST;
6. Vulnerability detection and mitigation strategies for IoST;
7. Secure key management and authentication in large-scale IoST systems;
8. Zero-trust architecture for IoST networks;
9. Decentralized learning for secure and private IoST data analysis;
10. Energy-efficient security solutions for IoST;
11. Cyber-physical system (CPS) security in IoST;
12. AI-based threat detection and response for IoST security;
13. Secure data sharing and storage management for IoST.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Debashis Das
Guest Editor

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• internet of secure things
• cryptography
• blockchain technology
• IoT security
• zero-trust architecture
• AI-driven security
• cyber-physical systems
• critical infrastructure