Chapter Eight - Privacy Requirements in Cybersecurity Applications of Blockchain

Abstract Blockchain has promise as an approach to developing systems for a number of applications within cybersecurity. In Blockchain-based systems, data and authority can be distributed, and transparent and reliable transaction ledgers created. Some of the key advantages of Blockchain for cybersecurity applications are in conflict with privacy properties, yet many of the potential applications have complex requirements for privacy. Privacy-enabling approaches for Blockchain have been introduced, such as private Blockchains, and methods for enabling parties to act pseudonymously, but it is as yet unclear which approaches are suitable in which applications. We explore a set of proposed uses of Blockchain within cybersecurity and consider their requirements for privacy. We compare these requirements with the privacy provision of Blockchain and explore the trade-off between security and privacy, reflecting on the effect of using privacy-enabling approaches on the security advantages that Blockchain can offer.

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