A Trust-Aware ICN–Block Chain Framework for Secure VANETS Enabled by PBFT
The vehicular ad-hoc network (VANET) provides a way for drivers or vehicles to communicate with each other in a more effective manner, however, there are still many issues with respect to different aspects of security, trust management, and delivering information reliably between two nodes. This study presents a way to facilitate Security in a VANET through a Trust-Aware, Block chain-Supported Information-Centric Networking (ICN) Framework. This Framework allows for more efficient dissemination of secure information in VANETs, making use of the requested/forwarding of Content In-Networks by Caching, which ideally would provide fast access to content and maintain availability and reduced latency for users within the network. A Trust Evaluation Module is employed to determine Node Behavior via the Packet-Forwarding Ratio of Nodes as well as the Validity of Packet-Content being forwarded. Blockchain Technology is used to hold Trust Records using PBFT Consensus, where records of malicious nodes identified. Lastly, Adaptive Trust Thresholds, Probabilistic Caching, and Malicious Content Filtering are utilized for Trust-Aware Forwarding and Caching mechanisms based upon calculated Trust Values with the intent to ensure the delivery of verified Data and to improve Network Performance. Simulation results show that the proposed method achieves a PDR of 98%, higher throughput, reduced delay, and lower packet loss compared to existing approaches, confirming its effectiveness in providing secure and reliable VANET communication under attack conditions.