A Comprehensive Review on Lightweight Cryptographic Mechanisms for Industrial Internet of Things Systems

The integration of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices within Industrial Control Systems (ICS) presents significant cybersecurity challenges, primarily due to the limited resources of these devices. Traditional cryptographic algorithms are often unsuitable for IIoT environments due to their high computational, memory, and energy requirements. Lightweight Cryptographic Algorithms have emerged as efficient and secure alternatives, specifically designed for resource-constrained environments. This paper systematically reviews lightweight symmetric cryptographic mechanisms, specifically Block and Stream ciphers, and evaluates their critical attributes from an IIoT perspective. In addition, the security strengths and vulnerabilities of these algorithms against known cryptanalytic attacks, including Differential, Linear, Related Key, and others, are discussed. The paper also discusses current standardization efforts by organizations such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), International Organization for Standardisation (ISO)/International Electro-technical Commission (IEC), highlighting their applicability in ICS environments. Finally, it identifies open research issues and future directions for improving lightweight cryptographic security in ICS, providing valuable insights for security practitioners and researchers seeking to robustly secure IIoT deployments.