Distributed Ledger Smart Contract Management With Endorser Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Distributed ledgers/blockchains are vulnerable to consensus attacks that introduce malicious or falsified blocks, making it difficult to manage and secure smart contracts effectively.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an authentication block that requires specific authentication credentials for adding transaction blocks to the blockchain, ensuring that only authorized endorsers can validate and add transactions through a consensus-based validation process using public encryption keys.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If distributed ledger/blockchain technology is used to ensure immutability, then data integrity is improved, but vulnerability to consensus attacks and malicious blocks increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements an authentication block that is created in advance and stored in the blockchain before any transactions occur. This authentication block contains encryption keys and authentication rules that are established beforehand, enabling the system to verify and reject malicious blocks before they can compromise the ledger's integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an authentication block as an intermediary element between the blockchain structure and transaction validation processes. This authentication block acts as a mediator that contains authentication rules and encryption keys, separating the validation logic from the transaction data and enabling secure verification without exposing the underlying blockchain to attacks
2Reliability
If authentication credentials are required for adding transaction blocks, then security against malicious blocks is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication block serves multiple functions simultaneously: it stores encryption keys, contains authentication rules for different transaction types, provides validation logic, and acts as a security credential. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate authentication mechanisms and simplifies the overall system architecture while maintaining high security standards
3Reliability
If consensus-based validation with authentication credentials is implemented, then prevention of malicious blocks is improved, but transaction processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Authentication credentials, encryption keys, and validation rules are established in the authentication block before transactions occur. This preliminary setup allows validators to quickly verify transactions against pre-established criteria rather than performing complex authentication checks for each transaction, reducing processing time while maintaining security
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs authentication validation selectively based on transaction types and requirements defined in the authentication block. Not all transactions require the same level of authentication scrutiny, allowing the system to optimize processing time by applying appropriate validation depth to each transaction while maintaining overall security
Data Source
AI summary
A blockchain is created. The blockchain comprises an authentication block that defines one or more authentication credentials that are required to be provided by an endorser to add a first type of transaction block to the blockchain. For example, a user may be required to provide a username/password to add a smart contract transaction block to the blockchain. A request to add the first type of transaction block to the blockchain is received. The first type of transaction block is added to the blockchain. Adding the first type of transaction block to the blockchain is based on the endorser providing the one or more authentication credentials.