Blockchain and federated Q-learning-based secure, fault tolerant, and energy efficient framework for ad hoc networks

Tandon, Righa; Gupta, P. K.; Cheng, Cheng

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0342008

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Blockchain and federated Q-learning-based secure, fault tolerant, and energy efficient framework for ad hoc networks

Righa Tandon

, P. K. Gupta, Cheng Cheng

PLOS One, Volume: 21, Issue: 3, Start page: e0342008

Swansea University Author: Cheng Cheng

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DOI (Published version): 10.1371/journal.pone.0342008

Abstract

An ad hoc network plays a critical role in enabling communication in environments where deploying fixed infrastructure is impractical or infeasible. However, their dynamic topology and decentralized nature make them highly susceptible to failures and security threats. This paper proposes a robust an...

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Published in:	PLOS One
ISSN:	1932-6203
Published:	Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2026
Online Access:	Check full text
URI:	https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa71291

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spelling	2026-03-20T10:44:13.9947191 v2 71291 2026-01-21 Blockchain and federated Q-learning-based secure, fault tolerant, and energy efficient framework for ad hoc networks 11ddf61c123b99e59b00fa1479367582 0000-0003-0371-9646 Cheng Cheng Cheng Cheng true false 2026-01-21 MACS An ad hoc network plays a critical role in enabling communication in environments where deploying fixed infrastructure is impractical or infeasible. However, their dynamic topology and decentralized nature make them highly susceptible to failures and security threats. This paper proposes a robust and intelligent framework that addresses these challenges by integrating secure communication, fault tolerance, and energy efficiency. The proposed model makes use of blockchain technology to encourage trust between nodes, works with several nodes in the network to spot their unusual behavior, and uses federated Q-learning for adaptive threat response. The key components of the proposed framework, i.e., identity validation, trust scoring, distributed anomaly detection, and autonomous role management, make the system stable, robust, and energy-efficient. Simulation results of 500 nodes in a dynamic network show that the proposed model provides better performance in packet delivery, fewer false detections, and shorter recovery time in comparison to other systems. Furthermore, the proposed system holds significant promise for critical applications such as battlefield communication, disaster recovery, and remote monitoring, where reliable and secure networking is essential. The novelty of the work is the combination of a lightweight blockchain (MicroChain), Adaptive Cryptographic Engine (ACE), and federated Q-learning into one framework of ad hoc networks. The proposed framework provides high-security, effective resource usage, and responsiveness to the current network environment unlike earlier solutions, which focus on security, power usage, or fault tolerance separately. Journal Article PLOS One 21 3 e0342008 Public Library of Science (PLoS) 1932-6203 18 3 2026 2026-03-18 10.1371/journal.pone.0342008 COLLEGE NANME Mathematics and Computer Science School COLLEGE CODE MACS Swansea University SU Library paid the OA fee (TA Institutional Deal) The authors are funded by UKRI Grant EP/W020408/1 and Grant RS718 through the Doctoral Training Center at Swansea University. 2026-03-20T10:44:13.9947191 2026-01-21T15:05:27.9899027 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Mathematics and Computer Science - Computer Science Righa Tandon 0000-0002-5953-5355 1 P. K. Gupta 2 Cheng Cheng 0000-0003-0371-9646 3 71291__36444__e98f4193701b46f5bab322198b5026ba.pdf 71291.VOR.pdf 2026-03-20T10:38:53.7411942 Output 2594021 application/pdf Version of Record true © 2026 Tandon et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. true eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title	Blockchain and federated Q-learning-based secure, fault tolerant, and energy efficient framework for ad hoc networks
spellingShingle	Blockchain and federated Q-learning-based secure, fault tolerant, and energy efficient framework for ad hoc networks Cheng Cheng
title_short	Blockchain and federated Q-learning-based secure, fault tolerant, and energy efficient framework for ad hoc networks
title_full	Blockchain and federated Q-learning-based secure, fault tolerant, and energy efficient framework for ad hoc networks
title_fullStr	Blockchain and federated Q-learning-based secure, fault tolerant, and energy efficient framework for ad hoc networks
title_full_unstemmed	Blockchain and federated Q-learning-based secure, fault tolerant, and energy efficient framework for ad hoc networks
title_sort	Blockchain and federated Q-learning-based secure, fault tolerant, and energy efficient framework for ad hoc networks
author_id_str_mv	11ddf61c123b99e59b00fa1479367582
author_id_fullname_str_mv	11ddf61c123b99e59b00fa1479367582_***_Cheng Cheng
author	Cheng Cheng
author2	Righa Tandon P. K. Gupta Cheng Cheng
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publishDate	2026
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issn	1932-6203
doi_str_mv	10.1371/journal.pone.0342008
publisher	Public Library of Science (PLoS)
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description	An ad hoc network plays a critical role in enabling communication in environments where deploying fixed infrastructure is impractical or infeasible. However, their dynamic topology and decentralized nature make them highly susceptible to failures and security threats. This paper proposes a robust and intelligent framework that addresses these challenges by integrating secure communication, fault tolerance, and energy efficiency. The proposed model makes use of blockchain technology to encourage trust between nodes, works with several nodes in the network to spot their unusual behavior, and uses federated Q-learning for adaptive threat response. The key components of the proposed framework, i.e., identity validation, trust scoring, distributed anomaly detection, and autonomous role management, make the system stable, robust, and energy-efficient. Simulation results of 500 nodes in a dynamic network show that the proposed model provides better performance in packet delivery, fewer false detections, and shorter recovery time in comparison to other systems. Furthermore, the proposed system holds significant promise for critical applications such as battlefield communication, disaster recovery, and remote monitoring, where reliable and secure networking is essential. The novelty of the work is the combination of a lightweight blockchain (MicroChain), Adaptive Cryptographic Engine (ACE), and federated Q-learning into one framework of ad hoc networks. The proposed framework provides high-security, effective resource usage, and responsiveness to the current network environment unlike earlier solutions, which focus on security, power usage, or fault tolerance separately.
published_date	2026-03-18T05:38:15Z
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score	11.099917

Blockchain and federated Q-learning-based secure, fault tolerant, and energy efficient framework for ad hoc networks

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