A Secure OTA Approach For Flexible Operation of Emergency Detection Units in Smart Cities

The Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm has witnessed remarkable growth in recent years, fostered by its vast market potential and its wide-ranging application across numerous domains. Among them, IoT applications in Smart Cities have stood out, with a significant focus on the development of cyber-physical systems that play a crucial role in the early detection of critical situations and the implementation of prompt actions to avert potential disasters. However, in order for these solutions to become more resilient and reliable, it is necessary for such IoT devices to have the ability to react immediately and adapt to the heterogeneity and dynamism of the sensed environments. These characteristics can be achieved through over-the-air (OTA) update strategies, which can remotely update and modify the software and firmware of electronic devices through wireless communications, without the need for physical or manual intervention. In this context, this paper proposes an OTA approach for the flexible operation of emergency detection units in smart cities, which might promote the integration of new requirements for critical events monitoring through remote updates, achieving a high degree of deployment, automation, and runtime scalability. Principles of authenticity and nonrepudiation are also taken into consideration to ensure security and reliability during the update and operation processes of these units. The logical operation of such new IoT devices are described herein, as well as the performed evaluation procedures.