CAREER: A Trustworthy and Verifiable Software Backplane for the Cloud Edge

Purdue University, West Lafayette IN

Investigators

Abstract

Internet of things (IoT) produces a large influx of streaming data. The high cost and long latency in shipping raw IoT data necessitates edge processing. The objective of this project is to safeguard IoT data during edge processing. It seeks to establish a trusted data path on the edge. As the data flows through the path, the proposed edge system ensures 1) data confidentiality: IoT data is only accessible to trusted parties; 2) integrity: all the data having arrived at the edge is exactly manipulated according to the planned processing; 3) verifiability: data flows and computations on the edge are verifiable to a trusted cloud backend. The project's research thrusts will be tightly integrated with its education and outreach plan, educating students on trustworthy computing scenarios as well as stimulating the public's interests in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). There are plans to contribute fresh contents to curriculum; enhance student maker activities with in-situ IoT analytics; provide a summer course on IoT/Edge for local children; and, present relevant outreach at community IoT events. As IoT is revolutionizing modern society, the project aims toward more secure and efficient intelligence driven by IoT data. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.