Use cases of blockchain technology in cyber security

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  • During the late 2000s, it became clear that cyber security became a concern for citizens rather than organizations.
  • Implementing decentralized DNSes minimizes the redundancy of DDoS attacks.
  • In 2019 Twitter admitted to letting advertisers access its user database to improve the targeting of marketing campaigns.

The concept of cybersecurity has existed since the dawn of Web1. Fortunately, through the internet revolution, it is clear that cyber security has become a vital key point in any technical technology. Malicious actors have ravaged the components and applications of Web2 so much that cyber security had to be separated from its functionality to work efficiently. Fortunately, as technology advanced, Web3 came into play and revolutionized the entire cyber security concept. In truth, Cyber security and blockchain technology have a crucial similarity; the application of cryptography. 

This link has enabled the proper implementation of blockchain in cyber security. Developers have been able to create various blockchain applications that complement several use cases of cybersecurity.

Today the world has acknowledged the concept of blockchain and its innate ability to provide some basic form of cyber security. Developers have sought to merge both ideas to develop a sophisticated system that protects current Web2 applications while paving the way for the complete domination of Web3.

Where Web1 and Web2 failed to create cybersecurity 

To understand the intertwining nature of blockchain in cybersecurity, we must first understand the failures of Web1 and Web2 that resulted in creating a separate security system.

The concept of cyber security began during ng the age of Web1. The popularity of the ARPANET became increasingly concerning to developers, and data only increased as more users stored personal files and information in their systems. In truth, most of the technologies we enjoy today developers already perceived during the creation of Web1.  

Bob Thomas, one of the founding fathers of Web1, created one of the first computer viruses as a test to identify its effects n the network. The Creeper, the first iteration of a virus, transversed over the internet without users knowing and left breadcrumb trails over it. Its concept revealed that Web1 was generally an open system unequipped to detect or notify users of any anomaly within their systems.

Reaper
Reaper was the first known cyber security measure that mitigated Creeper.[Photo/Virtual-Edge]
Through their research, Ray Tomlinson created the first cyber security system called the Reaper, which chased and deleted Creeper. This experiment showed that Web1 required a third-party security system, which led to the commercialization of the antivirus.

Also, Read Digital KYC system’s ability to revolutionize the African Fintech Industry.

Unfortunately, others also caught wind of how vulnerable Web1 was, which led to the creation of the first malicious virus, the Brain. Basit and Amjad Farooq Alvi, two brothers aged 17 and 24, created the first PC virus to deal with customers making illegal copies of their software.

Flaws of Web2

As essential cyber security technologies advanced, creating Web2 was a new problem. During the 1990s and early 2000s came in Web2 a wave of cyber attacks soon flooded its vast global reach. During the bronze age of Web2, cyber attacks evolved from mediocre programmers trying to get revenge to national espionage and government hacking. The enormous space of Web2 provided the following form of interconnection but also increased the field of cyber attackers. Unfortunately, cyber warfare thrived during this period as governments started recruiting and training hackers themselves. 

During the late 2000s, it became clear that cyber security became a concern for citizens rather than organizations. The centralized nature of the internet made it learn that data privacy was generally non-existent. The crash collision between internet technology and commerce made Web2 a haven for money-making opportunities for organizations.

Soon organizations started selling off their users’ data to other cooperates to build their databases. In 2018 the UK political consulting firm acquired and used personal data from Facebook initially collected from Cambridge Analytica. According to the investigation, it misused the data of nearly 87 million Facebook users.

Twitter-data-misuse
In 2019, Twitter openly admitted to a data misuse breach within its system, showing how blockchain security is necessary for Web2.[Photo/Twitter]
Many users never knew nor gave explicit permission to Facebook or Cambridge. In 2019 Twitter admitted to letting advertisers access its user database to improve the targeting of marketing campaigns. This gave third-party actors access to email addresses, phone numbers, and physical addresses.

 It soon became clear how much Web1 and Web2 lacked regarding security and privacy, stemming mainly from their decentralized nature. This resulted in creating more cyber security measures, but they could only address issues with external breaches and a few internal breaches. Web2 proved that organizations storing the data also have the power to misuse it.

Intertwining nature of blockchain in cyber security.

From the failures of Web1 and Web2, it became clear that cybersecurity technology needed to be in-built within the network rather than as a third-party element. Ironically when cryptocurrency first dawned on the world, many did not think much of it. Only after developers were able to isolate the blockchain technology were we able to create the concept of Web3. One significant factor that has led to the wide adoption of the Web is its underlying Blockchain security.

Also, Read and Understand the importance of the Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 transition.

Blockchain applications are decentralized but, depending on their use case, vary in permissions, sizes, roles, transparency and transaction mechanisms. Despite this, all use cases of blockchain technology exhibit a fundamental common factor; the inherent cyber security measure that eliminates the single point of failure. Blockchain applications are composed of in-built security qualities.

This is why blockchain security and cyber security share various common elements. Satoshi Nakamoto developed the concept of decentralized finance while remembering that any financial system had to be secure first and foremost. As a result, he designed blockchain technology to merge with one aspect of cyber security; cryptography.

Blockchain-applications
Cyber security is an in-built factor in most use cases of blockchain technology.[Photo/Medium]
 Cryptography generally defines the entire mechanism of blockchain security. The use of public and private keys are core components that blockchain applications use to secure their consensus system and identify users without revealing any further vital information about them.

As many such indiviudals state, the various use cases of blockchain satisfy all the triads of cyber security; Confidentiality, integrity and availability. Blockchain security is resilient and provides transparency and encryption schemes, securing blockchain applications from common eb2 cyber attacks.

Use-cases of blockchain in Cyber security

With the in-built sophistication of blockchain security, creating a blockchain-based cybersecurity platform is not far-fetched. Developers have taken various control measures to boost cyber security systems. This provides a more layered approach to providing security for Web2 platforms and ushers in a new age of Web3 media with bolstered security.

Resilience and Availability.

One of the significant flaws of most cyber security systems is the inability to exist throughout the system. For instance, when applying cyber security within a network, most network administrators place third-party software and control at edge routes. These devices interconnect the internal network and external network preventing any external attacks.

Unfortunately, this leaves the internal network vulnerable to insider threats. As a result, most organizations opt for a layered approach. Implementing several control measures on each network point proves expensive and inefficient. The availability of cybersecurity control is achievable by applying the decentralized nature of blockchain security. Hackers might fool one pair of eyes but not all of them.

Using blockchain in cyber security creates an interconnected network where every node has the same control measures. The distributed network also helps reduce data exposure and redirect users when a centralized database goes offline. Implementing decentralized DNSes minimizes the redundancy of DDoS attacks.

Further, this use case of blockchain significantly aids in providing security for IoT devices by improving device-to-device encryption, secure communication, essential management techniques and authentication. In addition, blockchain security can shield connected and edge devices while protecting other potentially vulnerable areas.

Also, Read The case for and against CBDCs.

Data Integrity

One of the few selling points of blockchain applications is their immutable nature. One of the few drawbacks of Web2 is that the centralized system provides a single point of failure. As a result, many organizations experience mass cyber-attacks; sometimes, the perpetrators breach the system and make off valuable data.

The application of blockchain in cyber security provides a form of immutability. For instance, Zero attacks are common factors that plague cyber security systems, and its inability to detect a flaw created due to its design has plagued developers for some time. Fornuantely blockchain security can verify updates and installers that prevent newer versions from infecting devices. One of the prominent use cases of blockchain is hashes.

Hashes compare and identify old and new system anomalies, inevitably identifying integrity checks in cyber security measures. Additionally, any changes within a blockchain security system reflect on the entire network. If only one node changes, the blockchain system in cyber security rejects the change and notifies other nodes of an impending breach.

Traceability and Provenance

The ability of a cyber security system to trace and identify the hacker is one of the main goals of any security system. Applying blockchain in cyber security creates a connected distributed network that can track every movement within the network. For instance, within a supply chain system, a distributed ledger accounts for all significant checkpoints within the entire process.

This reduces the risk of counterfeiting and tampering. In addition, it reduces the likelihood of piracy, one of the more costly cyber attacks in Web2. Blockchain applications can improve security by establishing several checkpoints within the system. In addition, they can implement hashes that can provide authentication of f any packet or transaction. Thus any alteration will follow a prompt notifying the entire network.

Conclusion

Blockchain in cyber security is a concept that many organizations are trying to achieve. Only a few use cases of blockchain technology have integrated its mechanism to create a sophisticated security system.

Companies such as Coinbase, Mobile Coin, Javvy and Founders Bank are among the few organizations that have implemented blockchain in cyber security. As a stand-alone mechanism, a blockchain-based cyber security platform is achievable. If developers can merge both technologies, it could redefine the notion of security.

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Ken Mutuku
Ken Mutuku
Your Guide to the Future of Tech, Web3, and Digital Storytelling. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for concise communication, Ken Mutuku is your go-to professional for decoding the next wave of technological evolution. Whether through captivating videos, insightful articles, or engaging presentations, he masterfully crafts messages that deeply resonate with his audience, setting him apart in the digital landscape.
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