SECURITY AND PRIVACY CHALLENGES IN IOT-ENABLED SMART HOMES AND CITIES WITHIN THE INDUSTRY 4.0 PARADIGM
By
1Offordile A., 2Ndubuisi, P. D.I., 3Okechi, M.C.
1, 3: Institute of Management and Technology, (IMT), Enugu, Nigeria.
2 Federal Polytechnic, Isuochi, Umunneochi LGA, Abia State , Nigeria.
Email: 1: adaokolidile@gmail.com; 2: ndudarla@gmail.com; 3: chinedumatthew16@gmail.com.
ABSTRACT
The adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 technologies has accelerated the development of smart homes and cities, enabling automation, real-time monitoring, and data-driven decision-making. However, the proliferation of interconnected devices and systems has introduced significant security and privacy vulnerabilities. Smart homes are susceptible to unauthorized access, surveillance breaches, and data misuse, while smart cities face challenges ranging from distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks to cyber-physical threats targeting critical infrastructure. This study investigates the security and privacy issues associated with IoT-enabled environments within the Industry 4.0 paradigm, focusing on the integration of blockchain, edge computing, and artificial intelligence (AI)-based anomaly detection. A hybrid security framework is proposed to address vulnerabilities by enhancing authentication, encryption, and intrusion detection mechanisms. Simulation-based evaluations demonstrate improvements in detection accuracy, latency reduction, and system resilience when compared to conventional security models. Results indicate that the framework achieves 96.4% detection accuracy with reduced latency and improved resilience, making it suitable for deployment in critical smart city infrastructures. The findings highlight that embedding Industry 4.0 technologies into IoT systems provides a more robust foundation for secure and privacy-preserving smart homes and cities. This research contributes to the ongoing discourse on digital urban resilience, providing practical insights for policymakers, developers, and researchers to foster secure and sustainable smart urban ecosystems.
Keywords: IoT security, Industry 4.0, smart homes, smart cities, blockchain, anomaly detection
INTRODUCTION
The rapid evolution of digital technologies has accelerated the global shift toward smart homes and smart cities. Central to this transformation are Internet of Things (IoT) devices, which enable real-time sensing, automation, and communication across diverse applications including energy management, healthcare, transportation, and urban planning (Atzori et al., 2019). When combined with Industry 4.0 technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), cyber-physical systems (CPS), and big data analytics, these systems provide unprecedented opportunities for efficiency, sustainability, and enhanced quality of life (Kamble et al., 2018). Smart homes utilize IoT-enabled devices for intelligent control of appliances, security systems, and energy optimization, while smart cities apply IoT to large-scale infrastructure, facilitating smart grids, waste management, and traffic optimization (Gubbi et al., 2019)......
