Robustness, Security and Privacy in Location-Based Services for Future IoT: A Survey

TLDR

The Internet of Things connects sensing devices to the Internet, and location information is essential for intelligent, context‑aware IoT systems, yet security and privacy threats related to positioning have not been adequately addressed. This survey investigates ways to enhance the robustness, security, and privacy of location‑based services in IoT systems. The authors evaluate threats and solutions for both GNSS and non‑GNSS positioning, describe cryptographic techniques for securing location data, and review policy regulations and legal instruments governing positioning privacy. The survey synthesizes technical and legal perspectives, offering insights and recommendations to guide future IoT systems toward more robust, secure, and privacy‑preserving location services.

Abstract

Internet of Things (IoT) connects sensing devices to the Internet for the purpose of exchanging information. Location information is one of the most crucial pieces of information required to achieve intelligent and context-aware IoT systems. Recently, positioning and localization functions have been realized in a large amount of IoT systems. However, security and privacy threats related to positioning in IoT have not been sufficiently addressed so far. In this paper, we survey solutions for improving the robustness, security, and privacy of location-based services in IoT systems. First, we provide an in-depth evaluation of the threats and solutions related to both global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and non-GNSS-based solutions. Second, we describe certain cryptographic solutions for security and privacy of positioning and location-based services in IoT. Finally, we discuss the state-of-the-art of policy regulations regarding security of positioning solutions and legal instruments to location data privacy in detail. This survey paper addresses a broad range of security and privacy aspects in IoT-based positioning and localization from both technical and legal points of view and aims to give insight and recommendations for future IoT systems providing more robust, secure, and privacy-preserving location-based services.