Blockchain-enabled secure and efficient task allocation for IoT networks using enhanced fuzzy reptile search algorithm

The Internet of Things(IoT) network is rapidly expanding, and the authentication and task allocation challenges between IoT devices, sensors, nodes, and gateways are highly complex. Traditional authentication schemes and task allocation methods frequently require increased scalability to address the resource constraints inherent in IoT devices. This paper presents a blockchain-based framework for secure and efficient task allocation in IoT networks that employs the Enhanced Fuzzy Reptile Search Algorithm (EFRSA$-$TA). The proposed framework uses Blockchain Technology to authenticate IoT devices via Smart contracts and Blockchain cryptography digital signatures (BCDS), ensuring task allocation security and integrity. Once authenticated via blockchain, tasks are distributed to devices and sensors using EFRSA$-$TA, which optimizes distribution based on resource availability, device location, and task priority. EFRSA$-$TA operates in two phases. First, it uses fuzzy logic to categorize task priorities, improving scheduling adaptability and responsiveness. In the second phase, an Enhanced Fuzzy Reptile Search Algorithm (EFRSA) and a novel validation function are used to offload tasks that exceed a device’s processing power and current workload. Blockchain Cryptography Digital Signature (BCDS) is compared to the existing ECC, HMAC, KCDH, LAKA and JWT algorithms to assess the framework’s effectiveness. On the other hand, EFRSA$-$TA is compared with several state-of-the-art optimization algorithms. Simulation results show that BCDS and EFRSA-TA significantly outperform these algorithms regarding Authentication time, false acceptance rate (FAR), Uptime & error rate, blockchain overhead, framework scalability analysis, task allocation rate, throughput, energy consumption, and CPU utilization, confirming its superiority in authentication and optimizing task allocation within IoT networks.