Title
An Internet of Block Things
Abstract
This paper defines extensible, distributed blocks of hash-linked data constructed using the cryptographic message syntax (CMS) SignedData message. The described SignedData blockchain allows each block to reside in a different physical location on the Internet of things (IoT). Each signed, time-stamped block content can combine data from multiple locations that are ‘detached’ from and remote to its block header. Two types of SignedData sidechains are described, ephemeral and fixed. Ephemeral sidechains can be added to any block at any time without affecting the integrity of the blockchain. They can also be removed without disruption, making them ideal for use in applications that must manage limited storage capacity or comply with right-to-be-forgotten privacy regulations. A simple blockchain example is presented using CMS SignedData for its block content and headers. This example is then extended to create doubly linked blockchains and blockchain grids.
Keywords
ASN.1, blockchain, IoT, sidechain, SignedData
Author
Phillip H. Griffin
(Griffin Information Security, USA)
Phillip is a CISM and ISSA Fellow with over 20 years of information assurance experience. He has served as a trusted security adviser, security architect, and consultant with leading corporations, and acted as committee chair, editor, and head of delegation in the development of US national and international security standards. Phillip has served on the ISSA Educational Advisory Council and the ISSA Journal Editorial Advisory Board, and actively participates in ITU-T SG17 Security, ISO TC68/SC2 Security, ISO/IEC JTC1/SC27 Security techniques, and X9 Financial Services standards development. His current work encompasses encryption techniques, distributed ledger technologies (DLT), access control, and biometric information security management. Phillip has 11 U.S. patents and over 30 patents pending at the intersection of biometrics, cryptography, RFID, and information security applications. He has a number of academic and professional technical publications and he has spoken at leading security conferences around the world.
