A trial of yoking-proof protocol in RFID-based smart-home environment

Abstract

Owing to significant progress in the Internet of Things (IoT) within both academia and industry, this breakthrough technology is increasingly penetrating our everyday lives. However, the levels of user adoption and business revenue are still lagging behind the original expectations. The reasons include strong security and privacy concerns behind the IoT, which become critically important in the smart home environment. Our envisioned smart home scenario comprises a variety of sensors, actuators, and end-user devices interacting and sharing data securely. Correspondingly, we aim at investigating and verifying in practice the Yoking-proof protocol, which is a multi-factor authentication solution for smart home systems with an emphasis on data confidentiality and mutual authentication. Our international team conducted a large trial featuring the Yoking-proof protocol, RFID technology, as well as various sensors and user terminals. This paper outlines the essentials of this trial, reports on our practical experience, and summarizes the main lessons learned.