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SLOT: A2+TA2

SCHOOL OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT TEST - I
FALL SEMESTER 2025-2026
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Programme Name & Branch : B.Tech. Computer Science and Engineering (IoT)
Course Code and Course Name : BCSE314L- Privacy and Security in IoT
Faculty Name(s) : Dr.K.Ragavan & Dr. Pushpa Gothwal
Class Number(s) : VL2025260102394 & VL2025260102391
Date of Examination : 17.08.2025
Exam Duration : 90 minutes Maximum Marks: 50

Answer key
Q. No Question
1. Conduct a threat modeling analysis for a smart parking system. Identify and explain the key assets
involved in the system. Provide an overview of the system architecture and decompose it into its core
components. Analyze at least three potential security threats, assess their impact on the system, and
evaluate their severity and likelihood.
Solution:
Scheme of Evaluation
Sl. No. Topic Marks
1. Threat modeling process 1
2. Identification of key assets 2
3. System architecture & decomposition 3
4. Description of Threat 1 (Spoofing) 1
5. Description of Threat 2 (Tampering) 1
6. Description of Threat 3 (DoS) 1
7. Severity and likelihood of threads 1
Total 10

1. Key Assets
 Sensor Data – Information about whether a parking spot is vacant or filled.
 Payment Data – Customer payment details from kiosks or mobile apps.
 Video Streams – Camera feeds used for monitoring and enforcement.

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SCHOOL OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT TEST - I
FALL SEMESTER 2025-2026
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 Parking Application & Analytics System – Backend applications that process parking,
payments, and violations.

2. System Architecture & Core Components

 Lot Sensors & Cameras → Collect data about vehicles.
 Sensor Gateways → Aggregate sensor information and send to backend.
 Parking Application → Manages payment, availability, and violations.
 Mobile App / Kiosk → Interfaces for customers to book/pay for parking.
 Analytics System → Provides reporting, pricing, and trend analysis.
 Enforcement System → Alerts officers about violations.

3. System Decomposition
a) Entry Points – Parking app API, Smartphone app, Kiosk, Sensor gateways, IP cameras,
Enforcement app.
b) Data Flow – Sensors → Gateway → Backend → App/Kiosk → Enforcement.
c) High-Value Targets – Payment data, Parking backend, Sensor data, Video evidence.
d) Trust Boundaries – Customer ↔ App, Sensors ↔ Backend, Enforcement ↔ Backend.
e) Weak Points – Wireless links (ZigBee/Wi-Fi), Cloud servers, Public kiosks, Admin accounts.

Potential Security Threats

Threat 1: Account Spoofing
 Attacker steals user credentials.
 Impact: Financial fraud, loss of trust.
 Severity: Medium | Likelihood: High.

Threat 2: Data Tampering

 Attacker manipulates sensor data (false “free” spots).
 Impact: Revenue loss, system misuse.
 Severity: High | Likelihood: Medium.

Threat 3: Denial of Service (DoS)

 Attacker overloads system servers.
 Impact: Parking system unavailable.
 Severity: Very High | Likelihood: Medium.

2. Discuss the role of secure design in IoT systems, highlighting threat modeling, privacy and safety impact
assessments. Evaluate the importance of compliance monitoring and security system integration in
ensuring IoT system security.
Solution:
Scheme of Evaluation:
Sl. No. Topic Marks
1. Secure Design Role 2
2. Threat Modeling 2
3. Privacy & Safety Assessments 2
4. Compliance Monitoring 2
5. Security System Integration 2
Total 10

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SCHOOL OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT TEST - I
FALL SEMESTER 2025-2026
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1. Role of Secure Design in IoT Systems
 Secure design is a core part of the IoT security lifecycle, ensuring security is built-in from the
start.
 It focuses on protecting devices, data, and users against both natural failures and malicious
attacks.
 Integrates safety and privacy considerations into every stage of IoT system development.
 Ensures that IoT systems can withstand threats, misuses, or unexpected failures.
 Establishes a foundation for trust, making IoT deployments reliable and safe.

2. Threat Modeling
 A key component of IoT security lifecycle, done at design stage.
 Identifies possible attackers, attack methods, and vulnerabilities in devices and networks.
 Must be regularly updated (every 3 months or when design/suppliers change).
 Ensures early detection of risks and helps apply preventive measures.
 Aligns IoT development with security-first thinking, reducing chances of future compromise.

3 a. Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA)

 Conducted during design stage to safeguard user privacy.
 Identifies privacy-protected information (PPI) and ensures stronger safeguards.
 Requires administrator approvals for handling personal data.
 Recommends encryption of both stored and transmitted data.
 Restricts access only to authorized users, both physically and digitally.
b. Safety Impact Assessment
 Evaluates how IoT failures may impact human safety and environment.
 Examines risks of device stoppage or malfunction.
 Considers whether other dependent systems/services could be affected.
 Identifies potential harm scenarios and mitigation methods.
 Example: Compromise of roadside IoT equipment could lead to life-threatening incidents (e.g.,
false traffic warnings).

4. Compliance Monitoring
 Ensures IoT systems meet legal, industry, and policy standards.
 Includes regulations such as PCI DSS (financial), NERC CIP (power systems), HIPAA
(health data), SAE (automotive).
 Compliance reduces risks of penalties and legal issues.
 Tools like Pwnie Express scan IoT devices for vulnerabilities and unauthorized access.
 Regular compliance checks align IoT deployments with security rules and maintain trust.

5. Security System Integration

 Focuses on secure interconnection of IoT devices in a business environment.
 Includes secure bootstrap (initial passwords, credentials, network setup).
 Manages accounts and credentials (e.g., TLS certificates, password updates).
 Ensures secure patching and updates so software remains trustworthy.
 Uses audit and monitoring tools (SIEM, firewalls, logs) to detect suspicious activity.

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SCHOOL OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT TEST - I
FALL SEMESTER 2025-2026
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3. Analyze the impact of Sybil attacks in vehicular networks. Discuss a detection scheme designed to
identify Sybil attacks, explaining how it works and evaluating its effectiveness in maintaining the
integrity of communication within the network.
Solution:
Scheme of Evaluation:
Sl. No. Topic Marks
1. Impact of Sybil Attacks 2
2. Detection Scheme (Explanation with diagram) 6
3. Effectiveness 2
Total 10

Impact of Sybil Attacks in Vehicular Networks

 Multiple fake identities: A single malicious node creates multiple fake identities, confusing the
system.
 Routing disruption: Fake nodes affect geographical routing, leading to denial of service.
 Reputation tampering: Fake IDs distort trust and reputation systems, giving false credibility.
 Unfair resource use: Attackers consume extra bandwidth and time by posing as multiple nodes.
 False data aggregation: Fake nodes alter sensor or traffic data, causing wrong decisions and
unsafe driving conditions.

Detection Scheme: Location Certificate-Based Approach

 Step 1 – Certificate Request: Vehicle requests a location certificate from Roadside Unit (RSU)
with ID, position (from GPS), and timestamp.

 Step 2 – Verification: RSU verifies position using received signal strength (RSS) and forwards
the request to the Central Authority (CA).

 Step 3 – Validation: CA checks if the vehicle is registered with a unique ID and public key.

 Step 4 – Certificate Issue: If valid, RSU issues a location certificate (vehicle ID, RSU ID, expiry
time). If invalid, no certificate is given.

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SCHOOL OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT TEST - I
FALL SEMESTER 2025-2026
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 Step 5 – Communication: Vehicles use the RSU-issued certificate as a key for communication.
Without it, they cannot send/receive data.
o Each vehicle continuously checks the expiry time of the location certificate and sends a
location certificate request before the expiration of the previously issued certificate
 Step 6 – Handover: When moving to another RSU, vehicles must present the old certificate to
get a new one.

Effectiveness of the Scheme

 Strong authentication: Fake Sybil nodes cannot obtain valid certificates.
 Efficient storage: Each RSU only keeps vehicle data temporarily, reducing overhead.
 Isolation of attackers: Sybil nodes are quickly removed from the network.
 Low overhead: Detection does not slow down communication, even with high mobility.
 Network integrity: Only legitimate vehicles can exchange safety messages, ensuring trust and
reliability.

4. Consider a scenario where healthcare organizations are using security defense schemes to protect
sensitive patient data during the COVID-19 pandemic. Compare Fusion-Based and Sequential Defense
Schemes in this context. Identify the advantages and disadvantages of each approach, and explain how
they perform in different threat scenarios.
Solution:
Scheme of Evaluation:
Sl. No. Topic Marks
1. Fusion-Based Defense (explanation + pros/cons) 4
2. Sequential Defense (explanation + pros/cons) 4
3. Comparison (COVID-19 healthcare) 2
Total 10

Fusion-Based Defense Scheme

 Collects feedback from all nodes (binary status: under attack/not under attack).
 A fusion center analyzes this data to infer if an attack is present.
 Works as a two-player game between attacker and defender:
o Few node removals = low damage.
o Many removals = easier detection.
 Advantages: High accuracy, good for large-scale monitoring, helps law enforcement.
 Disadvantages: High computation overhead, slower in real-time, possible false alarms.

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SLOT: A2+TA2

SCHOOL OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT TEST - I
FALL SEMESTER 2025-2026
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Sequential Defense Scheme
 Collects feedback only from high-degree/important nodes.
 Stops once sufficient feedback is gathered for detection.
 Detects targeted attacks quickly without scanning all nodes.
 Advantages: Faster detection, low cost, efficient for large IoT networks.
 Disadvantages: May miss smaller attacks, depends on correct selection of key nodes, less
comprehensive.

Healthcare COVID-19 Scenario

During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare organizations needed to secure sensitive patient data (e.g.,
test results, vaccination records, hospital monitoring).
 Fusion-Based Defense: In this case, feedback from all hospital systems and medical IoT
devices (servers, ventilators, monitoring systems) is collected and analyzed by a central
authority. This provides high accuracy in detecting threats across the entire healthcare network.
However, it is slow and resource-heavy, which could delay responses when quick action is
needed.
 Sequential Defense: Here, monitoring focuses only on critical healthcare systems (central
patient databases, hospital data servers). Once enough warning signs appear, defense actions are
taken immediately. This provides faster protection of crucial patient data during emergencies.
But smaller clinics or devices may remain less protected.
Comparison:
 Fusion-based defense is suitable for broad, nationwide monitoring of healthcare systems
during the pandemic.
 Sequential defense is better for real-time protection of mission-critical systems, ensuring that
essential patient data remains secure during crises.

5. Explain the technical aspects of blockchain technology in IoT, focusing on its building blocks,
characteristics, and types of blockchain. Identify how these components enhance the security and
efficiency of IoT systems.
Solution:
Scheme of Evaluation:
Sl. No. Topic Marks
1. Building Blocks 4
2. Characteristics 3
3. Types of Blockchain 2
4. Security/Efficiency in IoT 1
Total 10

Building Blocks of Blockchain

 Database – Stores all previous transactions in a secure, immutable ledger.
 Block – Key storage element, contains transactions + link to previous block (via hash).
 Hash – Cryptographic function; makes data tamper-proof by linking each block securely.
 Miner – A node that validates transactions, solves proof-of-work, and adds blocks.
 Transaction – Small unit of activity, only added after majority verification.

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SCHOOL OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT TEST - I
FALL SEMESTER 2025-2026
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 Consensus Mechanism – Ensures all users agree on ledger state (e.g., Proof of Work, Proof of
Stake).

Characteristics of Blockchain
 Decentralization – No central authority, all nodes share copies of data.
 Transparency – All participants can view verified transactions.
 Immutability – Once data is recorded, it cannot be altered.
 Security – Uses cryptography and hash functions to prevent tampering.
 Peer-to-Peer Operation – Direct interaction, no intermediaries.
 Pseudo-anonymity – Transactions tied to alphanumeric IDs, not real names.

Types of Blockchain
 Public Blockchain – Open to all; anyone can join and validate (e.g., Bitcoin, Ethereum).
 Private Blockchain – Restricted to specific organizations (e.g., Ripple, Everledger).
 Federated/Consortium Blockchain – Controlled by a group of organizations (e.g., R3, EWF).

Part 2: Application in IoT Security and Efficiency

 Building blocks like hashes and consensus prevent tampering of IoT data (e.g., sensor readings,
healthcare data).
 Decentralization avoids reliance on a single IoT server, reducing downtime and attack risks.
 Transparency & immutability build trust in IoT networks (data cannot be secretly altered).
 Consensus mechanisms ensure only valid IoT transactions (like smart device updates) are
accepted.
 Different blockchain types allow flexible use:
o Public blockchain for open IoT ecosystems (smart cities).
o Private blockchain for healthcare IoT (secure patient data).
o Consortium blockchain for industrial IoT (shared control among companies).
Overall, blockchain provides tamper-proof data, secure communication, and efficient trust
management in IoT systems.

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