DARPA explores blockchain for cybersecurity, other defense applications

Rage Review : The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has previously worked with blockchain startups to create a distributed ledger-based identity authentication system for border control and other purposes. The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has also made some important investments in the blockchain field to develop blockchain-based security systems. Although it may take some time for blockchain technology to provide end-to-end solutions for the information technology and defense sectors, this has already shown that U.S. national departments are also paying attention to blockchain technology.

Translation: Nicole

The immutability and security of distributed ledger technology promotes transparency, accountability, and security across various industry sectors. The defense and cybersecurity sectors have benefited greatly from blockchain technology as it is used in various projects involving cybersecurity.

The potential use of blockchain technology in security applications has attracted the interest of the U.S. Department of Defense. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, has made some important investments in this area to develop blockchain-based security systems. The agency has also supported a number of startups in order to accelerate research and development in the area.

A few DARPA-funded startups working in the field of “secure blockchain” include Guardtime Federal and Galois Inc. It is speculated that in the coming years, a large number of cyber attacks could be avoided by applying blockchain systems to cybersecurity. According to DARPA program manager Tim Booher, the use of blockchain technology could potentially eliminate cyber attacks like code injection.

David Hamilton, president of Guardtime Federal, noted that using blockchain technology will help collect evidence about security breaches and hacking attempts, which can be used to prosecute those responsible.

“The problem with a lot of systems right now is that there’s no way to use the data as evidence in court. But when you have a blockchain, you have a digital notarization of who did what and when, and it becomes very hard for someone to say ‘I didn’t do that.’”

Both Guardtime and Galois are involved in creating tamper-proof computer systems to protect the U.S. nuclear arsenal. They are also exploring the use of distributed ledger technology in decentralized communications systems for military applications.

Even the Department of Homeland Security is working with blockchain startups to create distributed ledger-based identity verification systems for border control and other purposes.

However, the applications currently being developed will not be stand-alone systems. They will need to augment existing systems to ensure normal functionality and efficiency.

It may take some time before blockchain technology can provide an end-to-end solution for both the IT and defense sectors.