Securing additive manufacturing with blockchain-based cryptographic anchoring and dual-lock integrity auditing

The Additive Manufacturing (AM) industry is a multibillion-dollar sector offering numerous benefits, such as customisation and efficiency. However, the rise in cyber–physical attacks significantly threatens its growth and security. These attacks target the integrity of digital design files, intellectual property (IP), and interconnected AM systems’ security. To address these security challenges, we propose Securing AM with Blockchain-based Cryptographic Anchoring and Dual-lock Integrity Auditing (SAM-BCADA), a system that ensures the security, integrity, and authenticity of 3D objects within the AM supply chain. SAM-BCADA utilises a dual-lock approach to connect the physical attributes of a product with its digital counterpart, improving traceability and security. By leveraging private permissioned blockchain technology, the system enables robust tracking, authentication, and verification of a product within the AM supply chain. Additionally, SAM-BCADA has developed a distributed off-chain storage for G-code data files that includes an advanced integrity auditing system using homomorphic verifiable tags. This allows for secure and efficient verification of data integrity without compromising confidentiality. This integrated approach addresses critical vulnerabilities in the AM process, providing a reliable framework for safeguarding digital and physical assets. The security analysis shows that SAM-BCADA is secure against product counterfeiting and IP theft and outperforms state-of-the-art schemes. Performance analyses have revealed that SAM-BCADA is computationally and communication-efficient and scalable in a distributed AM environment.