Abstract:

In light of Industry 4.0, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and intelligent manufacturing systems require secure access control (AC) mechanisms. Conventional methods, relying on trusted authorities, are vulnerable to attacks and single-point failure. Blockchain (BC) technology offers a resilient solution, in this context, there appears to be no Systematic Literature Review (SLR) dealing with the applicability of blockchain-based access control (BCbAC) in securing smart manufacturing as an IIoT application. To address this scientific gap, considering the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, our paper summarizes and critically reviews 16 papers searched through the Web of Science database (WoS) focusing on BCbAC mechanisms for securing IIoT and intelligent manufacturing in particular. our research investigates the BCbAC methods and manufacturing use cases and identifies the adapted platforms that support these security solutions, evaluating their effectiveness and strength. This SLR shows that Attribute Based-Access Control (ABAC) and Role Based-Access Control (RBAC) were the most adopted AC methods. Ethereum and Hyperledger Fabric were the most commonly used BC platforms. Several manufacturing domains are adopting BCbAC to enhance their security. This study is expected to provide researchers with a solid basis for benchmarking and comparisons in this research area. This study presents limitations regarding the requested databases, language, and reviewers, which may raise the risk of bias.