Cyber resilience of smart PPE: an algorithmic method for preventing occupational injuries
Abstract
Purpose. This study aims to resolve the scientific and technical contradiction between the need for cryptographic protection of communication channels in Smart PPE systems and the limited power resources of autonomous microcontrollers. The purpose of this article is to justify and develop an energy-efficient algorithmic method for ensuring the integrity of telemetric data, which allows for the integration of cyber resilience mechanisms into the industrial security framework without compromising the autonomy of the protection measures.
Methodology. The study employs an analysis of threat vectors to cyber-physical industrial safety systems (modeling of Man-in-the-Middle attack scenarios); a comparative analysis of the overhead of standard Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) data transmission protocols; mathematical modeling of the data verification procedure based on the SipHash-2-4 lightweight cryptography algorithm; and a computational assessment of the time complexity and energy efficiency of the proposed method compared to existing AES-CMAC and HMAC-SHA256 standards. The subject of this study is the transmission and verification of telemetry data within a personnel safety monitoring system. This approach allows for a logical integration of data integrity with its ultimate purpose—the protection of human life.
Theoretical Value. The study deepens the understanding of the priority inversion within the information security triad (CIA) in occupational safety systems (prioritizing integrity over confidentiality). The theoretical feasibility of using lightweight hash functions as a sufficient protection measure for field-level devices (Level 0-1 according to IEC 62443) is proven; this enables the integration of cybersecurity mechanisms into the safety loop without inducing critical latency in emergency signal transmission.
Practical Value. The proposed algorithm mitigates the risks of concealing real hazards (the "False Negative" scenario) and generating false alarms, ensuring that dispatch services receive reliable information for evacuation decision-making. Calculations confirm that the autonomous battery life of Smart PPE can be extended by 15–20% compared to traditional encryption methods, thereby ensuring reliable continuous monitoring throughout a full work shift.
Type of Article. Scientific and practical.
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