The revolutionary changes and rapid progress in cybersecurity and information protection have prompted the simultaneous strengthening of the nefarious “dark forces”. Until recently, the number of black hat hackers was truly alarming; they were like barbarian tribes hurling themselves against walls of the Roman Empire. Not a good thing and we all remember what happened next, right? Moreover, their technologies and approaches have always been savvier in comparison with the cybersecurity measures of protecting information. They were able to find vulnerabilities anytime and anyplace. According to this Forbes interview with John Kuhn, the appearance of white hat hackers has turned out to be somewhat of a revolution in the sphere of cybersecurity, but the issues of the industry, like the cybercrimes, still remain. One of the predicted scenarios of the American government regarding the future of the Internet is still pretty pessimistic; it states that the web might morph into an entirely dangerous place in which conducting any form of activity will be risky. In order to prevent this dystopian scenario from becoming the real timeline, the industry needs to be reformed now.

What’s the Cure?

Blockchain technology presents a unique opportunity to protect information by dividing it into small pieces (blocks) and encrypting each one individually. To clarify, let’s imagine that there’s a group of friends who have a puzzle, and each member of the group takes one piece of it. For recreating the full picture, they have to fit each piece into the appropriate one, following a particular logic and the order. Each friend has access to a specific part of the complete picture but cannot have any effect on the other pieces. Meanwhile, if they trust one another, they can exchange their pieces. After the party, all the friends go home, and they tuck their pieces of the puzzle into their pockets and purses, so as not to lose them. In much the same way, drawing on the Deloitte EMEA Grid Blockchain Lab, blockchain technology protects and divides the information. Like pieces of a puzzle forming the full picture bit by bit, the blocks allow for forming the database of any process protected from external penetration. The modern American Heathcare Industry has already implemented such “puzzles” for recording medical information about the patient. Each doctor contributes its “piece” to the full picture without any opportunity to change the other ones. It’s an example of a smart (and controlled) contract that is desperately needed by the cybersecurity industry.
The blocks aren’t connected to the same server as (all the friends are responsible for their pieces of the puzzle and show them only to each other). It means the total absence of any chance for a black hat hacker to ever have the full picture and steal all the information. This technology makes it possible for users to correct only the specific parts of the information in accordance with the level of access and permission. In fact, in a lot of modern industrial giants, the owners are currently “doing their puzzle”. In Nestle and Walmart, for instance, utilization of the blocks for the organization of the information have allowed for making the supply chain smarter. It means saving money and time for companies, and in turn, means happier magnates who love their customers and want them to be satisfied. The positive examples of the other industries should work for cybersecurity like the “success stories” of famous people who inspire us and make us leap off the couch and change our lives.

Cryptocurrency is real!

In the cybersecurity industry, one of the biggest issues is a scarcity of services and their expensiveness. It’s caused by a lack of supply, as only four global companies operate in this field. In turn, this problem is resolved by the Hacken Ecosystem where the HKN token is used as the currency for purchasing the service of the white hat hackers. The global bug bounty marketplace will enable companies to exchange the custom-tailored cryptocurrency, HKN, to get any type of cybersecurity services in accordance with their needs and budgets. Simultaneously, white hat hackers will be able to utilize their skills in ways that haven't been explored before. The HKN can be initially bought for $1, but its value will gradually grow, providing the owner with all the benefits. You can read more about how the price of HKN will increase here. Initially, the creation of HKN within the system was inspired by the application of blockchain, and as a result, the common cryptocurrency in the Ecosystem has allowed both parties to cooperate in the best possible way. The hackers who are rewarded with tokens save their anonymity, as well as being able to choose the project that is of the greatest interest for them. From the other side, the customers can use the service that falls within their budget. Creation of HKN has been mainly promoted by the distributed nature of blockchain technology. The positive liquidity of the currency makes it convenient and beneficial for all members of the Ecosystem. In this regard, using blockchain technology has made the supply in the industry grow by creating the appropriate conditions for all parties.

Fixing the penetration directly

Up next for the sphere of cybersecurity, it’s become possible to optimize the process of learning the issue caused by the penetration or vulnerability. For Nestle, blockchain technology has provided a chance to find and remove the origins of foodborne outbreaks immediately due to precisely defining its location. It will work in the sphere of cybersecurity in much the same way and will promote cooperation of the highest effectiveness. If something went wrong, it takes place in a specific block, and all the other ones will not be damaged in any way. Thus, it will be easier for the company to control the completion of a particular task. Also, it will simplify the formulation of tasks for hackers, and it will be convenient for the hacker to define what should be changed in the cybersecurity approach of the company. In this regard, there will be a necessity to remove only one vulnerability instead of fixing the entire system.

Smart Recording

Finally, cybersecurity will benefit greatly because of blockchain technology implementation due to the safety record provided by it. Again, the Ecosystem demonstrates its effectiveness while providing ample opportunities for cooperation between customers and employees. The blockchain considerably increases the effectiveness and convenience of the bug bounty platforms. The information received after vulnerability testing and penetration testing is collected in the individual blockchain block. The white hat hackers and their customers have their pieces of the puzzle that are not connected to the same server. The information about the client’s system is recorded in one block, while its vulnerabilities can be found in a different one. They are synchronized but not connected, and it shows the new standards of recording that are based on safety and trust without any risk of leaking. If the information about the system vulnerabilities leaks, it will lead to great danger of penetration for the customer.

Blockchain technology can be defined as a panacea for the cybersecurity industry, which experience a kind of stagnation in development. Due to the application of the blockchain, the supply of white hat hackers’ services became higher quality and safer for the customers, while communication and recording of the information was greatly optimized. Eventually, it enables cyber-researchers not only to use their skills to earn money freely but also find new fields of expertise within the cybersecurity industry.

Sources

1. https://hacken.io/common/files/HackenWP.pdf
2. https://cointelegraph.com/news/everything-blockchain-is-no-joke-taking-world-by-storm
3. http://www.thereviewatnyu.com/all/2017/4/17/civil-liberties-cybersecurity-and-the-future-of-modern-society
4. http://www.zdnet.com/article/how-blockchain-technology-can-transform-the-security-industry/
5. https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/financial-services/us-blockchain-and-cyber-security-lets-discuss.pdf
   6.https://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2017/05/31/the-top-cyber-security-challenges-experts-are-facing-today/&refURL=https://www.google.com.ua/&referrer=https://www.google.com.ua/
6. https://www.forbes.com/sites/reenitadas/2017/05/08/does-blockchain-have-a-place-in-healthcare/#22f6f17a1c31