Smart-Lock Security Re-engineered using Cryptography and Steganography

Abstract

After the rise of E-commerce, social media and messenger bots, rapid developments have been made in the field of connecting things, gadgets, and devices, i.e, the Internet of Things (IoT). In the fast-paced lifestyle, it is very difficult to maintain multiple keys for traditional mechanical locks. Electromagnetic smart locks are a possible solution to this problem. To connect a smart lock with a key, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol can be used. BLE protocol is vulnerable to Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attack. Ensuring security over BLE is an ongoing challenge. This paper aims to analyze the MITM vulnerability of BLE and develop a possible solution for designing smart-locks with an increased level of security. The observation shows that the combination of Image Steganography and Cryptography helps to overcome the vulnerabilities of BLE protocol.