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Systematic approach to analyzing security and vulnerabilities of blockchain systems

Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2019 / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Page 150 blank. / Includes bibliographical references (pages 119-149). / Recent hacks into blockchain systems and heists from such systems have raised serious questions about whether this new technology can be secured from ongoing, evolving cyberattacks. While the technology is known to provide an environment that is fundamentally safer than other existing centralized systems offer, security professionals warn that the current blockchain ecosystem is still immature, harboring many known as well as unknown defects [1]. This thesis draws upon a number of research studies and various other inquiries into blockchain systems security. In addition, this paper gathers and summarizes information regarding 78 recent blockchain cyberattacks and heists, analyzing and categorizing them as to their cause: platform breach, dApps exploit, access point attack, or endpoint hacking. Two of these attacks (the Ethereum blockchain system and the Bitfinex cryptocurrency exchange) are analyzed in detail using Causal Analysis using System Theory (CAST) method. A novel top-down security assessment method inspired by System Theoretic Process Analysis for Security (STPA-Sec) is used to evaluate a sample blockchain system, such as might be proposed for voting. An analysis of possible vulnerabilities is conducted, and suggestions for remediation and protection. / by Jae Hyung Lee. / S.M. in Engineering and Management / S.M.inEngineeringandManagement Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:MIT/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/121793
Date January 2019
CreatorsLee, Jae Hyung,S. M.Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
ContributorsStuart Madnick., Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering and Management Program., System Design and Management Program., Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering and Management Program, System Design and Management Program
PublisherMassachusetts Institute of Technology
Source SetsM.I.T. Theses and Dissertation
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Format150 pages, application/pdf
RightsMIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission., http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

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