832 research outputs found
Blockchain for Genomics:A Systematic Literature Review
Human genomic data carry unique information about an individual and offer
unprecedented opportunities for healthcare. The clinical interpretations
derived from large genomic datasets can greatly improve healthcare and pave the
way for personalized medicine. Sharing genomic datasets, however, pose major
challenges, as genomic data is different from traditional medical data,
indirectly revealing information about descendants and relatives of the data
owner and carrying valid information even after the owner passes away.
Therefore, stringent data ownership and control measures are required when
dealing with genomic data. In order to provide secure and accountable
infrastructure, blockchain technologies offer a promising alternative to
traditional distributed systems. Indeed, the research on blockchain-based
infrastructures tailored to genomics is on the rise. However, there is a lack
of a comprehensive literature review that summarizes the current
state-of-the-art methods in the applications of blockchain in genomics. In this
paper, we systematically look at the existing work both commercial and
academic, and discuss the major opportunities and challenges. Our study is
driven by five research questions that we aim to answer in our review. We also
present our projections of future research directions which we hope the
researchers interested in the area can benefit from
Blockchain for Genomics:A Systematic Literature Review
Human genomic data carry unique information about an individual and offer
unprecedented opportunities for healthcare. The clinical interpretations
derived from large genomic datasets can greatly improve healthcare and pave the
way for personalized medicine. Sharing genomic datasets, however, pose major
challenges, as genomic data is different from traditional medical data,
indirectly revealing information about descendants and relatives of the data
owner and carrying valid information even after the owner passes away.
Therefore, stringent data ownership and control measures are required when
dealing with genomic data. In order to provide secure and accountable
infrastructure, blockchain technologies offer a promising alternative to
traditional distributed systems. Indeed, the research on blockchain-based
infrastructures tailored to genomics is on the rise. However, there is a lack
of a comprehensive literature review that summarizes the current
state-of-the-art methods in the applications of blockchain in genomics. In this
paper, we systematically look at the existing work both commercial and
academic, and discuss the major opportunities and challenges. Our study is
driven by five research questions that we aim to answer in our review. We also
present our projections of future research directions which we hope the
researchers interested in the area can benefit from
Secure Sensor Prototype Using Hardware Security Modules and Trusted Execution Environments in a Blockchain Application: Wine Logistic Use Case
The security of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) systems is a challenge that needs to be
addressed immediately, as the increasing use of new communication paradigms and the abundant
use of sensors opens up new opportunities to compromise these types of systems. In this sense,
technologies such as Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) and Hardware Security Modules
(HSMs) become crucial for adding new layers of security to IIoT systems, especially to edge nodes
that incorporate sensors and perform continuous measurements. These technologies, coupled with
new communication paradigms such as Blockchain, offer a high reliability, robustness and good
interoperability between them. This paper proposes the design of a secure sensor incorporating
the above mentioned technologies—HSMs and a TEE—in a hardware device based on a dual-core
architecture. Through this combination of technologies, one of the cores collects the data extracted by
the sensors and implements the security mechanisms to guarantee the integrity of these data, while
the remaining core is responsible for sending these data through the appropriate communication
protocol. This proposed approach fits into the Blockchain networks, which act as an Oracle. Finally,
to illustrate the application of this concept, a use case applied to wine logistics is described, where
this secure sensor is integrated into a Blockchain that collects data from the storage and transport of
barrels, and a performance evaluation of the implemented prototype is providedEuropean Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program through the funding project
“Cognitive edge-cloud with serverless computing” (EDGELESS) under grant agreement number
101092950FEDER/Junta de Andalucia-Consejeria de Transformacion
Economica, Industria, Conocimiento y Universidades under Project B-TIC-588-UGR2
SECURITY RESEARCH FOR BLOCKCHAIN IN SMART GRID
Smart grid is a power supply system that uses digital communication technology to detect and react to local changes for power demand. Modern and future power supply system requires a distributed system for effective communication and management. Blockchain, a distributed technology, has been applied in many fields, e.g., cryptocurrency exchange, secure sharing of medical data, and personal identity security. Much research has been done on the application of blockchain to smart grid. While blockchain has many advantages, such as security and no interference from third parties, it also has inherent disadvantages, such as untrusted network environment, lacking data source privacy, and low network throughput.In this research, three systems are designed to tackle some of these problems in blockchain technology. In the first study, Information-Centric Blockchain Model, we focus on data privacy. In this model, the transactions created by nodes in the network are categorized into separate groups, such as billing transactions, power generation transactions, etc. In this model, all transactions are first encrypted by the corresponding pairs of asymmetric keys, which guarantees that only the intended receivers can see the data so that data confidentiality is preserved. Secondly, all transactions are sent on behalf of their groups, which hides the data sources to preserve the privacy. Our preliminary implementation verified the feasibility of the model, and our analysis demonstrates its effectiveness in securing data source privacy, increasing network throughput, and reducing storage usage. In the second study, we focus on increasing the network’s trustworthiness in an untrusted network environment. A reputation system is designed to evaluate all node’s behaviors. The reputation of a node is evaluated on its computing power, online time, defense ability, function, and service quality. The performance of a node will affect its reputation scores, and a node’s reputation scores will be used to assess its qualification, privileges, and job assignments. Our design is a relatively thorough, self-operated, and closed-loop system. Continuing evaluation of all node’s abilities and behaviors guarantees that only nodes with good scores are qualified to handle certain tasks. Thus, the reputation system helps enhance network security by preventing both internal and external attacks. Preliminary implementation and security analysis showed that the reputation model is feasible and enhances blockchain system’s security. In the third research, a countermeasure was designed for double spending. Double spending is one of the two most concerned security attacks in blockchain. In this study, one of the most reputable nodes was selected as detection node, which keeps checking for conflict transactions in two consecutive blocks. Upon a problematic transaction was discovered, two punishment transactions were created to punish the current attack behavior and to prevent it to happen in future. The experiment shows our design can detect the double spending effectively while using much less detection time and resources
Decision Framework for Improved Distributed Ledger Technology Utilization
Distributed ledger technology (DLT) has been salient in research and practice for over a decade, with substantial investments in numerous areas. Still, the absence of a rapid, industry-wide success fuels skepticism and numerous decision frameworks emerged focusing on how to scaffold DLT utilization. However, a consideration of needs, added value, and integrative design of DLT-based systems remains overlooked. By analyzing existing frameworks and DLT Proof-of-Concepts, we provide a research-in-progress decision framework for making evidence-based decisions on whether to use DLT and how to design a technology bundle for specific cases. Our main contribution centers on the focus on rapid collaborative prototyping. For applicability and validation, we implement the framework in an online questionnaire-like tool that generates a detailed report as a basis for an informed decision. While beneficial for academia and practice, our framework draws clear directions for future research on complementary tools, enhanced recommendations and the design of feasible DLT solutions for real world challenges
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