Audit logs are a critical component in today’s enterprise business systems as they provide several benefits such as records transparency and integrity and security of sensitive information by creating a layer of evidential support. However, current implementations are vulnerable to attacks on data integrity or availability. This paper presents a Blockchain-based audit trail mechanism that leverages the security features of Blockchain to enable secure and reliable audit trails and to address the aforementioned vulnerabilities. The architecture design and specific implementation are described in detail, resulting in a real prototype of a reliable, secure, and user-friendly audit trail mechanism.

The concept of identity has become one common research topic in security and privacy where the real identity of users must be preserved, usually covered by pseudonym identifiers. With the rise of Blockchain-based systems, identities are becoming even more critical than before, mainly due to the immutability property. In fact, many publicly accessible Blockchain networks like Ethereum rely on pseudonymization as a method for identifying subject actions. Pseudonyms are often employed to maintain anonymity, but true anonymity requires unlinkability. Without this property, any attacker can examine the messages sent by a specific pseudonym and learn new information about the holder of this pseudonym. This use of Blockchain collides with regulations because of the right to be forgotten, and Blockchain-based solutions are ensuring that every data stored within the chain will not be modified. In this paper we define a method and a tool for dealing with digital identities within Blockchain environments that are compliant with regulations. The proposed method provides a way to grant digital pseudo identities unlinked to the real identity. This new method uses the benefits of key derivation systems to ensure a non-binding interaction between users and the information model associated with their identity. The proposed method is demonstated in the Ethereum context and illustrated with a case study.

Blockchain has been widely known thanks to Bitcoin and the cryptocurrencies. In this chapter, we analyze different aspects that relate to the application of blockchain with techniques commonly used in the field of cybersecurity. Beginning by introducing the use of blockchain technology as a secure infrastructure, the document delves into how blockchain can be useful to achieve several security requirements, common to most applications. The document has been focused on some specific cybersecurity disciplines to maintain simplicity: backup and recovery, threat intelligence and content delivery networks. As illustrated, some projects and initiatives are in the process of joining these two fields to provide solutions to existing problems.

This research article explores the decentralization of Digital Product Passport (DPP) building blocks for Asset Administration Shells (AAS), aiming to enhance the management and traceability of digital assets. The DPP system is conceptualized to incorporate three critical elements: identity management, traceability, and access permissions. We present a comprehensive architecture that integrates these elements, ensuring a resilient supply chain. Furthermore, we delve into the custodianship of the DPP data, examining the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders in maintaining and securing the system. Finally, we experiment with existing technologies to conceptualize a decentralized DPP system for AASs, showcasing its practical application and effectiveness in real-world scenarios. This study sheds some light into the potential of decentralized systems in digital product management, highlighting the benefits and challenges associated with their deployment.

The slag generated as a by-product of the steelmaking process can be used to manufacture cement, reducing the generated waste and contributing to the circular economy. Currently, steelmaking companies promote long-term bilateral deals with one or few cement companies where the price is fixed, and the slag is a treated as commodity. We propose a new solution, which promotes slag reuse through its differentiation with a composition-based grouping and an auction. This process is carried out in a blockchain network, which increases trust in the system, provides guarantees about the slag composition to cement companies and helps external regulators to reliably extract circularity indicators.