Decentralized Integrity: Blockchain-Based Frameworks for Enhancing Software Update Security

Authors

  • Venkata Naga Mahesh Kumar Vankayala Oracle, USA Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32628/CSEIT241051035

Keywords:

Blockchain, Software Updates, Cybersecurity, Decentralized Distribution, Update Integrity

Abstract

This article examines the application of blockchain technology as a solution for secure and transparent software update distribution. As cyber threats evolve, traditional centralized update mechanisms face increasing vulnerabilities to tampering and unauthorized modifications. We propose a blockchain-based framework that leverages distributed ledger technology to create an immutable, decentralized environment for software updates. Our article demonstrates how this approach can eliminate single points of failure, ensure update integrity through cryptographic signing and network-wide verification, and enhance transparency in the update process. We discuss the system architecture, including update creation, distribution, and verification mechanisms, and evaluate its integration with existing software ecosystems. While acknowledging challenges such as scalability and implementation costs, we argue that blockchain-based solutions significantly advance securing software distribution. Our findings suggest that this approach has the potential to become a standard practice in the industry, substantially improving trust and reliability in software update systems. This article contributes to the growing body of research on blockchain applications in cybersecurity and provides insights for future developments in secure software distribution methods.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

A. Hahn, R. K. Singh, C. C. Liu and S. Chen, "Smart contract-based campus demonstration of decentralized transactive energy auctions," 2017 IEEE Power & Energy Society Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Conference (ISGT), Washington, DC, 2017, pp. 1-5. [Online]. Available: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8086092

N. Kshetri and J. Voas, "Blockchain-Enabled E-Voting," IEEE Software, vol. 35, no. 4, pp. 95-99, 2018. [Online]. Available: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8405627

S. Nakamoto, "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System," 2008. [Online]. Available: https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf

Z. Zheng, S. Xie, H. Dai, X. Chen and H. Wang, "An Overview of Blockchain Technology: Architecture, Consensus, and Future Trends," 2017 IEEE International Congress on Big Data (BigData Congress), Honolulu, HI, 2017, pp. 557-564. [Online]. Available: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8029379

X. Xu et al., "The blockchain as a software connector," 2016 13th Working IEEE/IFIP Conference on Software Architecture (WICSA), Venice, 2016, pp. 182-191. [Online]. Available: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7516828

K. Christidis and M. Devetsikiotis, "Blockchains and Smart Contracts for the Internet of Things," IEEE Access, vol. 4, pp. 2292-2303, 2016. [Online]. Available: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7467408

M. Samaniego and R. Deters, "Blockchain as a Service for IoT," 2016 IEEE International Conference on Internet of Things (iThings) and IEEE Green Computing and Communications (GreenCom) and IEEE Cyber, Physical and Social Computing (CPSCom) and IEEE Smart Data (SmartData), Chengdu, 2016, pp. 433-436. [Online]. Available: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7917130

A. Dorri, S. S. Kanhere, R. Jurdak and P. Gauravaram, "Blockchain for IoT security and privacy: The case study of a smart home," 2017 IEEE International Conference on Pervasive Computing and Communications Workshops (PerCom Workshops), Kona, HI, 2017, pp. 618-623. [Online]. Available: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7917634

M. Zamani, M. Movahedi and M. Raykova, "RapidChain: Scaling Blockchain via Full Sharding," Proceedings of the 2018 ACM SIGSAC Conference on Computer and Communications Security, 2018, pp. 931-948. [Online]. Available: https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3243734.3243853

M. Finck, "Blockchain and the General Data Protection Regulation: Can distributed ledgers be squared with European data protection law?," European Parliamentary Research Service, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2019/634445/EPRS_STU(2019)634445_EN.pdf

Downloads

Published

01-11-2024

Issue

Section

Research Articles