Blockchain-Enabled Cybersecurity for Cloud and IoT Environments

Abstract

Cloud computing and the Internet of Things (IoT) have become foundational pillars of modern digital infrastructure, but their proliferation has concurrently escalated cybersecurity threats—ranging from data tampering and identity spoofing to unauthorized access. In response, blockchain technology has emerged as a promising mechanism to strengthen security through its decentralized, immutable, and transparent characteristics. This study, situated in the context of 2023, investigates the integration of blockchain-based mechanisms to bolster cybersecurity in cloud and IoT ecosystems. Our approach encompasses a hybrid architecture combining a permissioned blockchain layer with lightweight consensus protocols optimized for IoT devices, coupled with smart-contract-driven access control and data integrity verification. We evaluate the framework in two scenarios: a cloud-based data-sharing platform and a real-world IoT sensor network. Key performance indicators include latency, throughput, security effectiveness (e.g., resistance to data manipulation, unauthorized access), and resource overhead in constrained IoT devices. Experimental results demonstrate that the blockchain-enhanced model enforces robust authentication and traceability without centralized trust dependencies. For the cloud platform, unauthorized data alterations were effectively prevented, and auditability improved drastically, with tamper events detectable immediately. In IoT environments, the consensus mechanism imposed moderate latency (~100–200 ms extra) but stayed within acceptable operational thresholds and consumed only ~5–8% additional energy. Smart contracts enabled fine-grained access control, significantly reducing attack surfaces. We discuss the trade-offs between security gains and system performance, emphasizing design considerations such as consensus selection, blockchain scalability, and IoT resource constraints. The study confirms that blockchain can play a pivotal role in securing cloud–IoT convergence, albeit with careful architectural design to maintain efficiency. In conclusion, blockchain-enabled cybersecurity frameworks offer enhanced integrity, authentication, and auditability. Future research should focus on optimizing consensus for ultra-low-power devices, interoperability across platforms, and real-time threat response integration.