iTZBEI: AN INTEGRAL SECURITY METRIC FOR SDN ARCHITECTURES INTEGRATING ZERO TRUST AND BLOCKCHAIN

Oleksandr Pidpalyi, Oleksandr Romanov, Larysa Globa, Anton Romanov, Anton Marinov, Mykola Nesterenko

Abstract


The subject matter of the article is the iTZBEI (Integrated Trust–ZTA–Blockchain SDN Efficiency Index) – a novel composite metric for quantitative security assessment of software-defined networks (SDN) integrating Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) and Blockchain technologies. The relevance of the research is determined by the fact that the centralized SDN control model generates critical vulnerabilities, including DDoS attacks, unauthorized routing manipulation, and insider threats – for which no unified quantitative evaluation framework currently exists. The study introduced a formalized aggregated security metric that enables continuous monitoring and comparative assessment across all components of the SDN–ZTA–Blockchain architecture. The tasks to be solved include: (1) identification of principal SDN attack vectors; (2) formalization of a transaction-processing algorithm covering the full access lifecycle; (3) definition of nine local security indicators; and (4) construction of the iTZBEI index with justified weighting coefficients. The methods used combine mathematical formalization of access control processes, cryptographic transaction verification, and experimental emulation of attack scenarios in a Mininet–OpenDaylight–Hyperledger Fabric environment. Conclusions. The obtained results of the article consist in the development of a functional algorithm that performs dynamic verification of user requests, makes adaptive authorization decisions according to the principles of least privilege, and records these decisions in an immutable distributed ledger. A metrics system is proposed, including local indicators such as the Continuous Authorisation Integrity Score (CAIS), the Blockchain Audit Integrity Score (BAIS), and the Local Policy Integrity (LPI). On this basis, the generalized Integrated Trust and Zero-Trust Blockchain Evaluation Index (iTZBEI) is described as an aggregated metric for comparative evaluation and continuous monitoring of the network’s security state. Scientific novelty. This study introduces a unified SDN + ZTA + Blockchain framework for network security, formalizes a transaction-level algorithm that directly links access decisions with distributed audit procedures, and proposes the iTZBEI metric as the first integral indicator for evaluating the integration’s effectiveness in dynamic network environments.


Keywords


SDN security, Zero Trust, Blockchain, security metrics, authorisation integrity, iTZBEI, audit systems.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.32620/reks.2026.2.16

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