Summary

• The growing threat of cyber-attacks is a concern for government entities managing sensitive data;
• Blockchain technology, specifically the BSV Blockchain, can enhance the security and management of sensitive government data;
• Certihash’s Sentinel Node on the BSV Blockchain provides near-instant file integrity and change monitoring;
• Sentinel Node can reduce data breach identification time from 212 days to almost instantaneously;
• Real-time detection and alerting of network anomalies can minimise potential damage and increase remediation time;
• Blockchain technology, particularly Bitcoin as envisioned in the original Satoshi White Paper, can revolutionise government operations and citizen engagement;
• Blockchain can enhance transparency, reduce fraud, and improve efficiency in government transactions and resource management;
• Blockchain offers a reliable way to manage and secure vast amounts of data generated by IoT and smart cities;
• Sentinel Node is significantly faster than traditional SIEM tools in log detection;
• Other benefits of Sentinel Node include in-house data storage, faster file integrity monitoring, instant change detection alerts, permanent attestation of records, and actionable cybersecurity intelligence.

The growing threat of cyber-attacks is a significant concern for government entities that manage sensitive data. This is where blockchain technology, specifically the BSV Blockchain, can play a pivotal role.

This is the view of Bryan Daugherty, Global Public Policy Director for BSV Blockchain Association, who was recently speaking in an interview with the Evening Standard. Daugherty noted that by utilising the inherent information security properties of blockchain technology – confidentiality, integrity, and availability – it is possible to significantly enhance the security and management of sensitive government data.

Certihash and Sentinel Node for cybersecurity 

Daugherty pointed to Certihash’s Sentinel Node feature set which is designed specifically to protect this type of sensitive data. Built on the BSV Blockchain in collaboration with IBM and SmartLedger, Sentinel Node is a powerful cybersecurity detection assurance tool that is capable of providing near-instant file integrity and change monitoring. 

Where current detection averages are measured in days, Sentinel Node operates on a scale of minutes or even seconds. Sentinel Node can help reduce the time it takes to identify a data breach from an average of 212 days to almost instantaneously. 

This near-real-time detection and alerting of network anomalies can drastically reduce the potential damage caused by data breaches and significantly increase the time for remediation.

Blockchain technology is the perfect fit 

Daugherty believes that blockchain technology, specifically Bitcoin as envisioned in the original Satoshi White Paper, as represented by BSV, has the potential to profoundly revolutionise government operations and citizen engagement profoundly.

‘With its ability to provide an immutable, transparent, and verifiable record of transactions, governments can utilise blockchain to enhance transparency, reduce fraud, and improve efficiency. For example, they could use it to track the allocation and use of public funds, thereby ensuring that taxpayer money is being used responsibly and as intended,’ said Daugherty.

‘With the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart cities, blockchain can offer a reliable way to manage and secure vast amounts of data that these systems will generate. For example, micropayments enabled by Bitcoin can serve as an effective way to manage resource consumption in smart cities, where transactions occur between machines, not just people.’

Rapid breach detection 

While most Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools claim to provide ‘real-time’ detection, most have a window of more than two hours between log capture transfer, analysis and alerting. By comparison, SmartLedger estimates that Sentinel Node is:

• x720 times faster at critical log detection;
• x1.400 times faster at advanced log detection;
• x4,032 times faster at standard log detection. 

Other benefits of Sentinel Node include: 

• Sensitive data always stays in-house;
• Faster file integrity monitoring;
• Instant alert upon change detection;
• Permanent attestation of alert records;
• Data is recorded in perpetuity;
• It provides actionable cybersecurity intelligence.