Query: blockchain and cybersecurity

title: The Blockchain Random Neural Network in Cybersecurity and the Internet of Things
abstract: The Internet of Things (IoT) enables increased connectivity between devices; however, this benefit also intrinsically increases cybersecurity risks as cyber attackers are provided with expanded network access and additional digital targets. To address this issue, this paper presents a holistic digital and physical cybersecurity user authentication method based on the Blockchain Random Neural Network. The Blockchain Neural Network connects increasing neurons in a chain configuration providing an additional layer of resilience against Cybersecurity attacks in the IoT. The proposed user access authentication covers holistically its digital access through the seven OSI layers and its physical user identity such as passport before the user is accepted in the IoT network. The user's identity is kept secret codified in the neural weights, although in case of cybersecurity breach, its physical identity can be mined and the attacker identified, therefore enabling a safe decentralized confidentiality. The validation results show that the addition of the Blockchain Neural Network provides a user access control algorithm with increased cybersecurity resilience and decentralized user access and connectivity.

title: A cybersecurity control framework for blockchain ecosystems
abstract: This paper proposes a cybersecurity control framework for blockchain ecosystems, drawing from risks identified in the practitioner and academic literature. The framework identifies thirteen risks for blockchain implementations, ten common to other information systems and three risks specific to blockchains: centralization of computing power, transaction malleability, and flawed or malicious smart contracts. It also proposes controls to mitigate the risks identified; some were identified in the literature and some are new. Controls that apply to all types of information systems are adapted to the different components of the blockchain ecosystem.

title: Continuous Cybersecurity Management Through Blockchain Technology
abstract: Traditional management practices applied to the cybersecurity realm are causing significant delays to the product release cycle for major organizations and government agencies. These delays are often seen as a necessary part of the security landscape to ensure appropriate approvals, audits, and risks are addressed prior to fielding software. However, the exact opposite outcome has been observed; delayed releases decrease overall security and functionality. This paper presents an alternative approval and review process using blockchain technology that complements agile development and continuous delivery paradigms. An example implementation is provided to demonstrate the behavior of the proposed system under hypothetical auditing and threat assessment scenarios.

title: Cybersecurity and the Blockchain: Preventing the Insertion of Child Pornography Images
abstract: The fight against child pornography on the Internet is difficult due to the inability of controlling the dissemination of content. While the cryptocurrency applications of a blockchain, such as Bitcoin, primarily store financial data in blockchain transactions, numerous approaches to arbitrarily insert other types of data are possible, including content in the form of readable text and images. Thus, considering the blockchain principles of decentralization, immutability, censorship resistance, and net neutrality, we are suddenly presented with a set of new challenges for mitigating the storage and distribution of illicit and potentially illegal data. Such a novel cybersecurity threat requires an adequate solution within a decentralized paradigm. In stark contrast to the countermeasures proposed in literature for filtering out illicit content from other legitimate data, this study proposes the first appropriately designed solution for effectively mitigating these threats whilst maintaining fidelity to the underlying core principles of the blockchain. Through the designed approach, arbitrary images in blockchain transactions are detected, and whilst leveraging an off chain content filtering service, successful discrimination is achieved between clean and illicit embedded data. The proposed methodology was evaluated directly on the Bitcoin blockchain, successfully demonstrating a pioneering and viable approach for thwarting the insertion of child pornography images. The presented solution within this research is made available on GitHub  for open source use.

title: 5G Cybersecurity Based on the Blockchain Random Neural Network in Intelligent Buildings
abstract: 5G promises much faster Internet transmission rates at minimum latencies with indoor and outdoor coverage; 5G potentially could replace traditional Wi Fi for network connectivity and Bluetooth technology for geolocation with a seamless radio coverage and network backbone that will accelerate new services such as the Internet of Things (IoT) New infrastructure applications will depend on 5G as a mobile Internet service provider therefore eliminating the need to deploy additional private network infrastructure or mobile networks to connect devices; however, this will increase cybersecurity risks as radio networks and mobile access channels will be shared between independent services. To address this issue, this paper presents a digital channel authentication method based on the Blockchain Random Neural Network to increase Cybersecurity against rogue 5G nodes; in addition, the proposed solution is applied to Physical Infrastructure: an Intelligent Building. The validation results demonstrate that the addition of the Blockchain Neural Network provides a cybersecure channel access control algorithm that identifies 5G rogue nodes where 5G node identities are kept cryptographic and decentralized.

title: Use of Blockchain in Strengthening Cybersecurity And Protecting Privacy
abstract: The purpose of this study is to highlight and prove the positive impact in which blockchain could have on today's IoT environment in terms of providing Cybersecurity for not just organizations, but other individuals who share data via the internet. The current IoT environs operates on a centralized cloud based server, meanwhile block chain operates on a decentralized server. The differentiation between the both plays a major role in the level of security they both provide; whereby, decentralized systems are less vulnerable to cyber attacks and centralized ones are not. In this report, real life illustrations are used to justify the knowledge that the block chain security could serve as a saving grace for internet users. Also, this form of security seems to be the only way to eradicate all forms of insecurity in supply chain and IoT breaches for businesses. An in depth understanding on how the block chain system operates would show why it's held with such high hopes and how it can be beneficial for a wide range of industries. However, this research also highlights some difficulties that might arise in implementing the block chain system. It also gives ways in which the system can be gradually implemented. Firstly, the government needs to make it mandatory for businesses that deal with national based confidential data to implement block chain in their supply chain system to boost security. Secondly, top company officials like C.E. O's need to take genuine interest in the block chain technology by investing in its development and making it a part of employee training, which in the long run would benefit the economy and business in return. Thirdly, a merge of more public and private businesses would help push the use of block chain further. Lastly, the government should make the block chain technology easily accessible, making the official permission to implement easy and cost effective.  Blockchain, Cybersecurity, privacy, Internet of things, cyber attacks

title: A Lightweight Blockchain Based Cybersecurity for IoT environments
abstract: Recently, Blockchain (BC) attracts a lot of research's to study their salient features in order to adopt it into various domains. BC promise to address security and privacy preservation issues in a distributed manner and eliminating the centralized concept. However, Internet of Thing (IoT) environments is constricted resources with limited capabilities in terms of; computation, storage, and energy that deter to adopt BC in a straightforward manner due to its intensive computational requirements and bandwidth consumption overhead. To address those issues, this paper introduces a Lightweight Blockchain based Cybersecurity (LBC) for IoT environments. Unlike the Proof of Work (PoS) and Proof of Stake (PoS) in Bitcoins, we aim to mitigate the heavy computational cost that required in a consensus algorithm to meet the IoT requirements. To provide scalability feature to the proposed scheme, Edge Block Manager (EBM) and Aggregation Block Managers (ABM) have been introduced; where EBM aims to overcome the limited capabilities of local IoT resources and manages local BC in centralized manner. While ABM constitute of numerous of EBM to manages the public BC in a distributed manner. Our novel proposed scheme can preserve high throughput and low latency. Obviously, waiting period, verification, and block appending period have been mitigated. Security analysis shows that the proposed scheme is resisted against typical attacks.

title: Blockchain for Cybersecurity: Working Mechanism, Application areas and Security Challenges
abstract: Blockchain is receiving huge attention from researchers and various organizations as it brings forth magical solutions to the classical centralized architecture problems. Blockchain, either private or public, is a kind of distributed ledger for maintenance of integrity among various transactions by the process of ledger decentralization among the participating end users. On the contrary, Internet of Things (IoT) is the internet revolution that facilitates connection of all end user devices over the internet so that they can share their services and applications for improvement of daily living standards. Centralized IoT provides numerous benefits, however, it also brings forth several security challenges. Integrating blockchain with IoT is an effective way to resolve these security challenges. This paper presents a detailed review that highlights this integration process. The paper presents the working mechanism of the blockchain and how it changes the nature of value. Application areas and security challenges are also outlined and discussed in the paper.

title: An Empirical Analysis of Blockchain Cybersecurity Incidents
abstract: The establishment of Bitcoin in 2008 has introduced Blockchain technology to become the predominant new ways in digital transactions in many fields, such as energy, healthcare, and financial services. Although blockchain technology promised many advantages, it has suffered from various attacks with significant financial loses. We analyse 65 cybersecurity incidents that have been happening on the blockchain networks between 2011 and the first half year of 2019. We categorize those incidents against the key cybersecurity vulnerabilities in blockchain technology, which showed an upward trend of an increasing number of attacks which dues to lack of security controls in the digital currency exchange and vulnerability in smart contracts. This result of this research highlights the needs in a major overhaul of the blockchain technology.

title: Cybersecurity in the Blockchain Era A Survey on Examining Critical Infrastructure Protection with Blockchain Based Technology
abstract: Cybercriminals and nation state hackers are investing heavily in strategies devised to disrupt critical infrastructure systems. Nearly one out of two Industrial Control System (ICS) computers in the energy sector had been impacted by malicious cyber activity in 2018. With threats increasing and attack vectors expanding, critical infrastructure sectors like energy need to implement innovative technology to ensure Critical Infrastructure Protection. This study reviewed blockchain research published between 2015 and 2019 in order to examine the development of blockchain, evaluate current applications of blockchain in the energy sector, and propose additional opportunities for the application of blockchain technology. Quantitative analysis revealed that blockchain based cybersecurity research and application in the energy sector is increasing at an annual average growth rate of 169% since 2015 with intensified focus on Internet of Things (IoT) and Smart Grid infrastructures. Computed projections forecast a continued increase in the research and application of IoT and Smart Grids. Calculations indicate that nearly 50% of the new research will be in blockchain based cybersecurity solutions such as cryptographic communications and secure email. Qualitative analysis indicates potential for blockchain based cybersecurity solutions to provide enhanced Critical Infrastructure Protection in those sectors against pervasive phishing and social engineering threats.