Securing Fog Computing in Healthcare with a Zero Trust Approach and Blockchain

Abstract

<title>Abstract</title> As healthcare systems increasingly adopts fog computing to improve responsiveness and data processing at the edge, security challenges associated with decentralized architectures become more pronounced. The traditional security models, reliant on defined perimeters, are ill-suited for the dynamic and open nature of fog environments, where sensitive data traverses multiple nodes, creating potential vulnerabilities. This paper proposes a novel security framework combining Blockchain (BC) and Software Defined Network (SDN) technologies underpinned by Zero Trust (ZT) principles, specifically designed using fog networks. This model integrates BC to ensure immutable and traceable transaction logs, while SDN provides dynamic and adaptable network configuration to enforce comprehensive access controls and real-time threat management. The primary advantage of our approach is the robust enhancement of security across the fog network by adopting a ZT architecture that never inherently trusting any node and requiring continuous verification of all network interactions. This method drastically reduces potential attack vectors. Furthermore, the synergy between BC and SDN enables decentralized, auditable, and flexible security management capable of adapting to evolving threats instantaneously. Finally, experimental results demonstrate significant improvements in Intrusion Detection Rates (IDR) by 40%, system responsiveness to security threats improved by 35%, and Data Integrity (DI) enhanced by 30%. These findings underscore the efficacy of the proposed framework in fortifying the security of fog networks, marking it as a vital upgrade for secure and efficient operations in modern healthcare environments.