The OWASP Top Ten List is a widely-recognized tool for identifying vulnerabilities in web applications. Since blockchain-specific security guidance is currently lacking, mapping existing frameworks, such as OWASP, to the blockchain can help in the identification of potential vulnerabilities in blockchain systems. While the OWASP Top Ten List is designed to describe the vulnerabilities that web application developers face, nine of ten of the OWASP vulnerabilities also apply to blockchain systems. The exception, XML External Entities (XXE), is not applicable due to the lack of use of XML in blockchain.
Cloud storage services provide convenient data storage services for individuals and enterprises. Data owners can remotely access and update outsourcing data. But there are still many security problems, such as data integrity. Although the public audit schemes allow users to authorize third-party auditors (TPA) to verify the integrity of cloud data, there are still a series of problems in the existing public audit schemes. First of all, most of the existing schemes are based on the traditional or identity public key infrastructure. There is a problem of certificate management or key escrow. And they do not support dynamic data update and user identity tracking for group users. Then, existing multi-replica data public audit schemes store all replicas on a cloud storage server. Once the cloud server fails, all replicas will be damaged. Finally, most existing schemes require TPA to be trusted. In practice, TPA may deviate from the public audit protocol or collude with cloud servers to deceive users. To solve these problems, we propose a certificateless multi-replica and multi-cloud data public audit scheme based on blockchain technology. In our scheme, the dynamic hash table and modification record table are introduced to achieve dynamic update of group user data and identity tracking. All replicas are stored in different cloud servers, and their integrity can be audited at the same time. In addition, we use the unpredictability of blocks in the blockchain to construct fair challenge information, thereby preventing malicious TPA and cloud servers from colluding to deceive users. Each audit result is written into the blockchain, which is convenient for users to audit the behavior of TPA. The analysis results show that our proposed scheme is secure in the random oracle model and has higher efficiency in communication and computation cost compared with similar schemes.
A blockchain-enabled online-voting system is being proposed in this following paper. Blockchain technologies deliver an endless variety of applications that benefit from distributed economies. The proposed model is an android application that has enhanced security features which includes both authentication and authorization. Authentication is incorporated by using a unique identification key and authorization is done by using fingerprint. Voters are also being verified by One-time password. The security in this project is implemented by using a 128 bit AES encryption algorithm and SHA-256 along with blockchain. The vote is casted in the form of transaction, where a blockchain is created, which keeps track of tallies of votes. Through this atomicity and integrity are maintained. [4] Index Terms—Voting System , Blockchain , SHA-256, Security, AES-128, Ballot
Open access
Internet Traffic Analysis and Secure E-voting
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Advanced Steganography and Watermarking Techniques
The Internet of Things (IoT) which creates a hyper-connected society is playing a major role in the 4th industrial revolution. The IoT is being leveraged across various fields of business globally and the number of IoT devices is causing serious security concerns. Since the firmware update of an IoT device is necessary for its lifecycle, secure firmware update of the IoT device is being brought as the first step in IoT security. The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Software Updates for Internet of Things (SUIT) working group has started to specify a software update architecture for IoT devices. However, the current SUIT working group adopts a traditional client-server model to distribute firmware images, which potentially causes security risks. The current approach of the SUIT working group is unable to solve a targeting issue and an author-disappearing issue, which is suggested in this paper. Therefore, in this work, we introduce a distributed firmware update architecture based on the SUIT firmware update architecture applying blockchain. Our update architecture can prevent the issues we concern through the characteristics of blockchain, such as decentralization, transparency, and irreversibility. The blockchain network has registration nodes that process registration of manifest and firmware image files from authors, and retrieval nodes that process downloading manifest and firmware image files. The firmware image files are stored in a distributed file system and the hash values of firmware image chunks are stored on the blockchain with manifest files. The proposed architecture in this paper enables the irreversible downloads even in the author-disappearing state and tolerant to a single point of failure.
Kai Hendrik Wöhnert, Sven-Jannik Wöhnert, Tobias Thiel, Rüdiger Weißbach · 5 authors
Production systems equipped with industrial internet-of-things devices are on the rise allowing smart manufacturing within the trend of industry 4.0 by implementing decentralized decision making. The interconnected devices allow for high transparency in systems by tracking environmental data and actions performed by the actors of the systems. However, they are an easy target for attackers to tamper the authenticity, accountability, and integrity of systems. Therefore, trusted data within systems is required. The trust bases on well-behavior over a period of time of a dedicated entity. Therefore, entities have to be identified to track their behavior. Here, a system of verifiable distributed identities is presented and verified by a simulation. Using a newly introduced zero-knowledge-proof with only two packages exchanged a secure replacement of parts of a product such as a production machine can be achieved without relying on a central authority during the product’s utilization phase.
Open access
Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) and Hardware Security
The persistent challenge of transparency and accountability in governance structures across developing economies has stifled sustainable development, discouraged investment, and eroded public trust. As these nations continue to grapple with administrative inefficiencies, corruption, and opaque processes, emerging technologies offer potential pathways for reform. Among these, blockchain technology stands out as a decentralized, immutable, and transparent digital ledger system capable of redefining how governance is conceptualized and implemented. This paper explores the viability of blockchain-enabled e-governance models in enhancing transparency within public institutions in developing contexts. Drawing from a conceptual and exploratory framework, the study identifies key areas where blockchain applications can foster openness, such as land registry, procurement, public finance, electoral systems, and identity verification. While prior literature acknowledges the promise of digital governance, this paper emphasizes blockchain's unique capacity to automate trust, reduce discretion, and enable real-time verification of public processes. It critically evaluates pilot initiatives and experimental blockchain programs in select developing nations to establish patterns of adoption, resistance, and measurable impact. Furthermore, it highlights the socio-political, infrastructural, and regulatory hurdles that may inhibit or distort successful implementation, especially in environments with weak digital literacy and limited institutional accountability. The study proposes a model for blockchain-enabled e-governance tailored to the socio-economic realities of developing economies. The model integrates blockchain with existing administrative systems while fostering institutional reforms, capacity building, and inclusive stakeholder engagement. It underscores the importance of designing systems that balance transparency with data privacy, decentralization with national oversight, and technology with policy intent. By aligning technical architecture with public governance objectives, the paper argues that blockchain can do more than digitize bureaucracy—it can reengineer governance processes to be citizen-centric, tamper-proof, and resilient against corruption. This abstract sets the stage for a deeper examination into how blockchain can catalyze a governance paradigm shift in the Global South, ultimately offering a roadmap for institutions seeking legitimacy and efficiency in an age of digital transformation.
The object of the present work is to provide a legal analysis of the formation of legally binding agreements through blockchain-based smart contracts. Smart contracts are computer codes that are capable of running automatically upon the occurrence of specific conditions and according to pre-specified functions. These codes can be stored and processed on a blockchain and any change is recorded in the blockchain. The expression “smart legal contract” refers to the use of smart contracts in the contractual domain to perform already existing contracts or to express legally binding agreements in the form of lines of computer code. Regarding the latter, researchers question whether blockchain-based smart contracts can be considered legally binding contracts. The study aims at putting in correlation contract requirements with blockchain- \nbased smart contracts. The scope of the analysis is to verify how to interpret the rules on contract formation to make blockchain-based smart contracts fit into contract law.
The global economy can be regarded as a complex global adaptive system, which adapts and evolves according to the environment and the behavior of the agents existing on the market. A topic that is topical and can even affect the welfare of a country is the field of cryptocurrencies. Today, the most well-known phenomenon by people in this field is the emergence of bitcoin. Cryptocurrencies or virtual currencies are an emanation of the financial crisis that started in 2008, a crisis that had led to a decline in confidence of traditional bank. In this paper, we discussed the creation of possible speculative bubbles, we presented the virtual currencies, we applied techniques of multidimensional analysis of the data for their analysis, and we evaluated the effects that the appearance of the cryptocurrencies had on the cybernetic economic system in Romania. Also, the paper deals with a section on identifying risks in the field of cryptocurrencies. In the last part of this paper, we focus our attention on the viability of these coins and their future prospects.
In 2014, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2014-21 in an attempt to address issues with cryptocurrency taxation, essentially reaching the conclusion that cryptocurrency must be treated like property for purposes of taxation. In the time since the IRS pronouncement, several academics have called for an alternative treatment known as “currency treatment.” Each treatment inadequately addresses the comprehensive issues surrounding cryptocurrency because they offer wholesale treatment to nuanced issues with valid concerns from each side. To truly allow this emerging industry to flourish and gain societal acceptance, artful policymaking is required. This note provides an example of such policymaking. The tax plan proposed in this note will address a litany of issues, ranging from investment intent, price volatility, treatment of income for “miners,” the criminal element of cryptocurrency, enforcement mechanisms, and cross-regulatory agency efforts, eventually suggesting a three-tiered approach that combines elements of the property and currency treatment approaches for a more comprehensive analysis. Being proactive in addressing these issues will allow the market to embrace a new medium of commercial change that revolutionize the world.
In this article, we present the first solution for multi-party certified email that achieves fairness and confidentiality without the intervention of a TTP but with blockchain support when problems arise. Our solution preserves the confidentiality of the mail exchanged between the sender and the recipients even when the blockchain is involved. We provide a proof of concept implementation based on Ethereum smart contracts that shows it is feasible from a practical point of view. Because the functions of a smart contract are only executed on the blockchain in the case of conflict, costs are minimised compared to solutions that execute the functions on the blockchain in all cases (on-chain solutions). Moreover, the solution can be integrated into the existing email infrastructure.
Publicly traded securities generally are held by investors in securities accounts with intermediaries such as stockbrokers and central securities depositories — intermediated securities. For many investors this is the only practical means of holding and dealing with securities. These intermediated holding systems (IHSs) impose a variety of risks and costs. Investors are exposed to intermediary risk (default or insolvency of an intermediary holding securities) as well as impediments to the exercise of rights such as voting and asserting claims against securities issuers. The nontransparency of IHSs imposes other social costs, such as obstacles to anti-money laundering enforcement. The emergence of FinTech and the potentially disruptive effects of distributed ledger technology (blockchain) now present realistic opportunities for reforms of securities holding infrastructures that would increase transparency and allow investors to hold securities directly on the books of their issuers.
This article proposes a “New Platform System” (NPS) for the direct holding of securities that would connect issuers and investors and also connect both with trading and settlement systems (which would remain intact, at least for now). Unlike other recent transparency and direct holding proposals, the NPS would cover both equity and debt securities and would flexibly accommodate beneficial aspects of current IHSs, such as margin lending, securities lending, and rehypothecation. The article presents a broader menu of problems that the NPS could resolve. The NPS addresses the probable objections that the intermediaries who benefit from the status quo would make to any transparency or direct holding proposals. Disintermediation likely would require regulatory intervention by the SEC in the United States. By offering reforms that would minimize the disruption of current market practices, the NPS could encourage intervention and blunt opposition. It also could provide a “primordial soup” for future, more extensive reforms of trading and settlement systems.
Mahsa Keshavarz, M. Gharib, Fatemeh Afghah, Jonathan Ashdown
Unmanned aerial systems (UASs) are prone to several cyber-physical attacks, which decrease the performance of the network and may cause damage to the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or their surrounding environment. In this article, we propose UASTrustChain, a trust management framework based on Blockchain time-stamped series. We consider a system of models, consists of a number of autonomous UAVs, whose behaviors are regularly monitored by a set of distributed observers (DOs). Since most cyber attacks cause interruption in the operations of UAVs or deviation from their original path, the DOs keep track of the UAVs' behavior in terms of their trajectory, as well as the number of their successful tasks. The DOs calculate a relative trust score for each UAV and keep these scores in a transparent, reliable, secure and open ledger. This framework can detect UAVs' abnormal behavior in a real-time manner further to detect the compromised distributed observers, if any. The proposed framework could also distinguish abnormal activities due to real attacks from those caused by harsh environmental conditions. We evaluate the proposed framework for its functionality and accuracy by performing extensive simulation experiments. Our simulation results show that the proposed trust model can detect compromised distributed observers and fades their effect on the UAVs trust scores. Results further show the ability of the system in detecting malicious UAVs, which can be under various cyber-physical attacks.
Blockchain Technology become phenomenal issue in the world, emerging with bitcoin and IoT. It had been implemented in many areas in human activity. Advantages of blockchain technology is distributed ledger where resources distributed to all member in network. Loans or credit as part of human activity in their life. When we need cash for a major expense, it might be tempting to borrow from a payday lender or max out a credit card or similar, but you have other options that will not harm your credit or put you in a cycle of debt, even if your credit record is not all that great. Collateral loans could be a way to borrow the money as you need. One of which is the lending platform. Blockchain technology has been implemented in many lending platforms, but there are still any weaknesses that can be refined and optimized. Tool of analysis is SWOT, describes of four analysis, as follow: Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threats. This paper purpose to analyzed lending platform measured by look for the weaknesses variable and how to optimize that system performance that can improve for helping people in lending process. In addition, the result of this analysis can use for enhancement recommendation the system based on the weaknesses are found and opportunity for make a lending platform robust
Reda Moulouki, Dominique Bernard Kanga, Taif Fatima, Mohamed Azouazi
Rising global costs and the fragmented nature of the healthcare supply chain creates several challenges. The healthcare industry needs efficient solutions that can streamline supply chain operations and processes in a cost- effective manner. Leading healthcare players are exploring blockchain technologies to achieve efficiencies and gain better control over their supply chains. In this paper, we present the current state of the subject and summarize the benefits and the challenges of the distributed organization and management of supply chains management. Focusing on healthcare, and we discuss the applicability of blockchains in the supply chain domain in the healthcare.
The revolution of the Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming many concepts, making them “Smart”. It has revolutionized many areas of real life. Smart City is one of the key concepts of this revolution. Although cities are being digitally transformed, it still has obstacles along the way. In this paper, we have analyzed different publications for our Systematic Literature Review (SLR). This study highlights the areas where the blockchain is used and determines the benefits of using blockchain. The main contribution is to explore and identify the barriers and hurdles in Smart City Domain and how these hurdles are mitigated by the blockchain technology. This Systematic Study also addresses different challenges and issues such as security, immutability, interoperability, decentralization, privacy, and trust in the development of Smart Cities. An overview of the systematic research is also presented that would help identify the most and least studied concerns addressed in this study. This paper aims at analyzing how blockchain technology is used in different smart city business models, what are the features of blockchain that could consider it to be used beyond crypto currencies. We hope that this study can inspire interest in theory and exercise to stand-in discussions in this area adhere to these limits.