Luiz Fernando Rust da Costa Carmo

Bio: Luiz Fernando Rust da Costa Carmo is an academic researcher from Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. The author has contributed to research in topics: Wireless sensor network & Key distribution in wireless sensor networks. The author has an hindex of 13, co-authored 65 publications receiving 532 citations. Previous affiliations of Luiz Fernando Rust da Costa Carmo include National Institute of Metrology Standardization and Industrial Quality.

Covert Attacks in Cyber-Physical Control Systems

Abstract: The advantages of using communication networks to interconnect controllers and physical plants motivate the increasing number of networked control systems in industrial and critical infrastructure facilities. However, this integration also exposes such control systems to new threats, typical of the cyber domain. In this context, studies have been conducted, aiming to explore vulnerabilities and propose security solutions for cyber-physical systems. In this paper, a covert attack for service degradation is proposed, which is planned based on the intelligence gathered by another attack, herein proposed, referred as system identification attack. The simulation results demonstrate that the joint operation of the two attacks is capable to affect, in a covert and accurate way, the physical behavior of a system.

Intrusion Detection System for Wireless Sensor Networks Using Danger Theory Immune-Inspired Techniques

Abstract: An IDS framework inspired in the Human Immune System to be applied in the wireless sensor network context is proposed. It uses an improved decentralized and customized version of the Dendritic Cell Algorithm, which allows nodes to monitor their neighborhood and collaborate to identify an intruder. The work was implemented and tested both in simulation and in real sensor platform scenarios, comparing them to each other and was also compared to a Negative Selection Theory implementation in order to demonstrate its efficiency in detecting a denial-of-sleep attack and in energy consumption. Results demonstrated the success of the proposal.

A Service Approach for Architecting Application Independent Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract: The current sensor networks are assumed to be designed for specific applications, having data communication protocols strongly coupled to applications. The future sensor networks are envisioned as comprising heterogeneous devices assisting to a large range of applications. To achieve this goal, a new architecture approach is needed, having application specific features separated from the data communication protocol, while influencing its behavior. We propose a Web Services approach for the design of sensor network, in which sensor nodes are service providers and applications are clients of such services. Our main goal is to enable a flexible architecture in which sensor networks data can be accessed by users spread all over the world.

COMFIT: A development environment for the Internet of Things

Abstract: This paper presents COMFIT (Cloud and Model based IDE for the Internet of Things), a development environment for the Internet of Things that was built grounded on the paradigms of model driven development and cloud computing. COMFIT is composed of two different modules: (1) the App Development Module, a model-driven architecture (MDA) infrastructure, and (2) the App Management and Execution Module, a module that contains cloud-based web interface connected to a server hosted in the cloud with compilers and simulators for developing Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The App Development Module allows the developers to design IoT applications using high abstraction artifacts (models), which are tailored to either the application perspective or the network perspective, thus creating a separation between these two concerns. As models can be automatically transformed into code through the App Development Module, COMFIT creates an environment where there is no need of additional configurations to properly compile or simulate the generated code, integrating the development lifecycle of IoT applications into a single environment partially hosted in the client side and partially in the cloud. In its current version, COMFIT supports two operating systems, namely Contiki and TinyOS, which are widely used in IoT devices. COMFIT supports automatic code generation, execution of simulations, and code compilation of applications for these platforms with low development effort. Finally, COMFIT is able to interact with IoT-lab, an open testbed for IoT applications, which allows the developers to test their applications with different configurations without the need of using local IoT devices. Several evaluations were performed to assess COMFIT’s key features in terms of development effort, quality of generated code, and scalability.

A control and decision system for smart buildings using wireless sensor and actuator networks

Abstract: A research field that makes use of information and communication technologies to provide solutions to contemporaneous environmental challenges such as greenhouse gas emissions and global warming is the 'smart building' field. The use of wireless sensor and actuator networks WSANs emerges as an alternative for the use of information and communication technologies in the smart buildings. However, most of smart building applications make use of centralised architectures with sensing nodes transmitting messages to a base station wherein, effectively, the control and decision processes happen. In this context, we present CONDE, a decentralised CONtrol and DEcision-making system for smart building applications using WSANs. CONDE main contributions are as follows: i the decentralisation of the control and decision-making processes among WSAN nodes, saving energy of both the WSAN and the building; ii the integration of applications through sharing the sensed data and chaining decisions between applications within the WSAN, also saving energy of both the WSAN and the building; and iii the provision of a consensual multilevel decision that takes into account the cooperation among nodes to have a broader view of the monitored building. Performed experiments have shown CONDE gains in terms of the following: i response time; ii system efficiency; and iii energy savings from the network and the building. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Environmental sensor networks

Abstract: The developments in wireless network technology and miniaturization makes it possible to realistically monitor the natural environment. Within the field of environmental sensor networks, domain knowledge is an essential fourth component. Before designing and installing any system, it is necessary to understand its physical environment and deployment in detail. Sensor networks are designed to transmit data from an array of sensors to a server data repository. They do not necessarily use a simple one way data stream over a communication network rather elements of the system decide what data to pass on, using local area summaries and filtering to minimize power use while maximizing the information content. The Envisense Glacs Web project is developing a monitoring system for a glacial environment. Monitoring the ice caps and glaciers provides valuable information about the global warming and climate change.

Middleware for Wireless Sensor Networks: A Survey

Abstract: Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have found more and more applications in a variety of pervasive computing environments. However, how to support the development, maintenance, deployment and execution of applications over WSNs remains to be a nontrivial and challenging task, mainly because of the gap between the high level requirements from pervasive computing applications and the underlying operation of WSNs. Middleware for WSN can help bridge the gap and remove impediments. In recent years, research has been carried out on WSN middleware from different aspects and for different purposes. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive review of the existing work on WSN middleware, seeking for a better understanding of the current issues and future directions in this field. We propose a reference framework to analyze the functionalities of WSN middleware in terms of the system abstractions and the services provided. We review the approaches and techniques for implementing the services. On the basis of the analysis and by using a feature tree, we provide taxonomy of the features of WSN middleware and their relationships, and use the taxonomy to classify and evaluate existing work. We also discuss open problems in this important area of research.

Towards Post-Quantum Blockchain: A Review on Blockchain Cryptography Resistant to Quantum Computing Attacks

Abstract: Blockchain and other Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLTs) have evolved significantly in the last years and their use has been suggested for numerous applications due to their ability to provide transparency, redundancy and accountability. In the case of blockchain, such characteristics are provided through public-key cryptography and hash functions. However, the fast progress of quantum computing has opened the possibility of performing attacks based on Grover’s and Shor’s algorithms in the near future. Such algorithms threaten both public-key cryptography and hash functions, forcing to redesign blockchains to make use of cryptosystems that withstand quantum attacks, thus creating which are known as post-quantum, quantum-proof, quantum-safe or quantum-resistant cryptosystems. For such a purpose, this article first studies current state of the art on post-quantum cryptosystems and how they can be applied to blockchains and DLTs. Moreover, the most relevant post-quantum blockchain systems are studied, as well as their main challenges. Furthermore, extensive comparisons are provided on the characteristics and performance of the most promising post-quantum public-key encryption and digital signature schemes for blockchains. Thus, this article seeks to provide a broad view and useful guidelines on post-quantum blockchain security to future blockchain researchers and developers.