Blockchain-based Maritime Monitoring System

In the last decade, blockchain technology consolidated as an extremely versatile security tool for decentralized systems, becoming the backbone technology of IT systems in many different sectors. Aiming to develop mechanisms for naval systems cybersecurity, this work proposes a blockchain-based Maritime Monitoring System (MMS) to protect the integrity, authenticity, and availability of relevant navigation data. It proposes a permissioned blockchain solution using HyperLedger Fabric – a robust, modular, and efficient open-source blockchain platform. We evaluate this solution’s performance and feasibility through an experiment where the blockchain receives sensing data from an SDR-based low-cost Automatic Identification System receiver. Smart contracts process this data in a distributed way and write it into the blockchain ledger. The results provide quantitative analysis on the blockchain technology overhead and its impact in terms of Quality of Service, demonstrating the feasibility and effectiveness of our solution in the scope of an MMS.