Implementation of the Ascon Encryption Algorithm for Secure Industrial IoT Networks
Erich S. Ellsworth, Daniyar Boztayev, Priyan Shah, Liam Quinn, Semih Aslan · 2025
This paper focuses on Ascon as an encryption algorithm that facilitates secure communications specifically for IoT, focusing particularly on Industrial IoT. Given that Ascon is a lightweight algorithm, it allows these devices to reap the rewards with heavy costs while adding more protection than high-powered and more capable computing devices, in light of the development of quantum computing. The study investigates reactive sensor networks applied for environmental control, protection of communication channels in intelligent production systems, and data protection in distant health care systems. In each case, comprehensive security analyzes are performed that include vulnerability and threat assessment and analysis and performance under different scenarios. Moreover, some of the key opponents pointed out are the limitations of low-energy devices, the trade-off between security and performance, and the excessive costs of key management in decentralized systems. In terms of solving these issues, several approaches are proposed, such as more advanced key management systems, security applicable to environments, and lightweight wrappers of Ascon envelopes to make Ascon easier to use in IoT devices. The results indicate that Ascon is ideal encryption for IoT applications, which is promising to strengthen security in the era of new development of IIoT networks.