Enhancing the efficiency and security of NB-IoT: from battery depletion to energy optimization

This thesis focuses on the attack surface and optimisation strategies of Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), one of the most commercially successful LPWAN (Low-Power Wide-Area Network) technologies. The rapid adoption of NB-IoT in recent years can be attributed to its key features, such as energy efficiency, low cost and the ability to support massive deployments even in challenging environments. However, the same features that make NB-IoT attractive present significant challenges, particularly in the context of energy-efficient transmissions and battery depletion attacks within the heterogeneous nature of IoT deployments. The research highlights the security risk of NB-IoT against battery depletion attacks, exploiting the protocol energy-saving mechanism. We created several types of attacks that can exhaust the end nodes’ lifespan from decades to months. These cyberattacks are designed to remain undetected as they increase energy expenditure without entirely disrupting communication. To evaluate their effectiveness, we developed simulations in both virtual and physical environments and made them publicly available for future research. Additionally, this thesis proposes EDT+ (Early Data Transmission Plus), a new NB-IoT communication mode aimed at further reducing energy consumption while increasing the network’s performance. EDT+ leverages the static nature of many IoT applications, minimising the overhead associated with each transmission. During simulation EDT+ achieved an efficiency of up to 45% during transmission compared to regular communication. Furthermore, by pre-scheduling communication in a pseudo-random time slot allocation, EDT+ can mitigate the effectiveness of battery depletion attacks. Through comprehensive simulation in virtual and physical environments, this study overcomes research challenges associated with licensed telecommunication technologies. It provides an insight into the trade-offs between energy efficiency and security in NB-IoT networks. The proposed mitigation strategies and protocol optimisation enhance the network resilience and efficiency. Overall, this research contributes to the development of sustainable IoT systems with an emphasis on use cases where lifespan and security are paramount.

Grantor dc:publisher

University College Cork

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Ionescu, Vlad

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Roedig, Utz
• Pesch, Dirk H J

• Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT)
• Low-Power Wide-Area Network (LPWAN)
• Battery depletion attacks
• EDT+ (Early Data Transmission Plus)
• IoT security
• Sustainable IoT systems
• Energy-efficient transmissions
• Energy-saving mechanisms
• Heterogeneous IoT deployments
• Network performance
• Communication simulations (virtual and physical)

Statement dc:rights

• © 2025, Vlad Radu Ionescu.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10468/18403

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:cora.ucc.ie:10468/18403