About this previous year paper
Course: B.Tech (All Branches – Open Elective)
Semester: V Subject Code: KOT054
Subject Title: Privacy and Security in IoT Maximum Marks: 100
Duration: 3 Hours
Exam Pattern:
Section A: Short conceptual questions — 20 marks
Section B: Descriptive questions — 30 marks
Section C: Analytical / Application-based questions — 50 marks
SECTION A – Short Answer Questions (10 × 2 = 20 Marks)
All ten questions are compulsory and focus on basic definitions and core security concepts.
Define Authentication and Authorization.
Authentication: Confirms user/device identity (e.g., password, token, biometric).
Authorization: Determines access level or permissions granted after authentication.
Functions of Secret Key Cryptography:
Uses a single key for encryption and decryption.
Ensures data confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity in communication.
Size of Hash Value:
Typically 128–512 bits (MD5 → 128 bits, SHA-256 → 256 bits).
Random Number Generators:
Most are pseudo-random, generated using algorithms and seeds, not truly random.
Publish–Subscribe Model in IoT:
Enables asynchronous communication between devices via brokers (e.g., MQTT).
Preferred for scalability and low network load.
Technology Used in Access Control:
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC), and biometric systems.
Concerns of Data Dissemination:
Unauthorized sharing, data leakage, lack of user consent, and privacy breaches.
Common Privacy Risk During Personal Data Collection:
Unauthorized data profiling and identity theft.
Cloud vs Traditional Data Centers:
Cloud offers on-demand scalability, virtualization, and pay-as-you-go flexibility.
Traditional centers are static and hardware-bound.
Security Benefits of Cloud Computing:
Centralized control, redundancy, automated backups, encryption, and continuous monitoring.
SECTION B – Descriptive Questions (3 × 10 = 30 Marks)
Attempt any three out of five.
(a) IoT Security Architecture and Attacks:
IoT security architecture includes perception, network, and application layers.
Common attacks: Eavesdropping
Man-in-the-middle (MITM) Denial of Service (DoS)
Firmware tampering Device spoofing
(b) MQTT Protocol in IoT:
Lightweight publish–subscribe protocol for low-bandwidth, high-latency environments.
Ensures reliable message delivery using QoS (Quality of Service) levels 0, 1, and 2.
(c) Strong Authentication Methods for IoT Devices:
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) Digital certificates (PKI-based)
Token-based authentication (OAuth, JWT) Hardware security modules (HSMs)
(d) Unauthorized Access Prevention:
Role-based access, encryption, firewalls, and intrusion detection systems (IDS).
Secure boot and firmware integrity checks.
(e) IoT Platform Monitoring and Control:
Real-time dashboards track device health, firmware updates, and network traffic.
Uses protocols like MQTT, CoAP, and HTTP REST APIs.
SECTION C – Analytical / Application-Based Questions (5 × 10 = 50 Marks)
Attempt one part from each question (Q3–Q7).
Q3. Authentication Token Security
(a) Secure transmission of authentication tokens between client and server uses:
SSL/TLS encryption Token expiration policies
Session-based validation Refresh tokens for reauthorization
(b) Design considerations for avoiding improper authorization:
Enforce least-privilege principle Validate user roles
Secure APIs with role-based access
Q4. Cryptography and Data Integrity
(a) Cryptographic controls in IoT messaging: End-to-end encryption
Secure hashing (SHA, HMAC) TLS over MQTT/CoAP
Digital signatures for non-repudiation
(b) IoT Node Authentication:
Devices verify authenticity via certificates, TPM (Trusted Platform Module), or blockchain.
Ensures data integrity through hash verification.
Q5. Access Management & Security Testing
(a) Access Management Solutions for IoT: Centralized IAM systems, OAuth 2.0, X.509 certificates.
Employ Zero Trust Architecture.
(b) IoT Device Attacks and Testing Activities:
Attacks: DDoS, firmware tampering, buffer overflow, replay, data sniffing.
Testing: Penetration testing, fuzzing, and vulnerability scanning.
Q6. Trust and Privacy
(a) Trust in IoT: Based on identity, reliability, and behavior of devices.
Components: Trust establishment
Trust evaluation Trust management
(b) Lightweight and Robust IoT Privacy Schemes:
Homomorphic encryption, differential privacy, and lightweight key management protocols like ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography).
Q7. Data Analytics & Cloud Integration
(a)
Types of IoT Data Analytics:
Descriptive (what happened), Predictive (what will happen), Prescriptive (what should be done).
Cloud Communication:
IoT devices use MQTT/HTTP over secure TLS to send data to cloud platforms like AWS IoT, Azure IoT Hub.
(b) Architectural Considerations in Cloud:
Multi-layered security, redundancy, encryption, isolation, and compliance (GDPR, ISO 27001).
Key Topics Covered
IoT security architecture & layers Authentication, encryption, and access control
MQTT and data confidentiality Privacy risks and data protection techniques
Cloud integration and analytics in IoT Trust management and lightweight cryptography