Cloud Infrastructure Security: Blockchain Solutions for Preventing Phishing Attacks

By: Soo Nee Kee^1,2

¹Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

²International Center for AI and Cyber Security Research and Innovations, Asia University, Taiwan Email: nee.kee2001.nks@gmail.com

Abstract

This paper discusses security threats in cloud infrastructure, especially phishing attacks and comes with some innovative solutions to mitigate phishing. The proposed framework utilises blockchain, a decentralized, tamper-proof ledger to enhance the overall security of cloud environments. The new approach not only addresses the single point failure issue, but also provides a robust phishing detection mechanism with the integration of smart contracts.

Introduction

Phishing attack is a type of cybersecurity attack that always targets cloud infrastructure by exploiting the weaknesses in centralized server. Attackers can gain unauthorized access to vast amounts of data or disrupt operations. This will lead to data breaches, identity theft or financial losses as attackers can use stolen information or identities to make any unauthorized transactions or payments. The worst part is that they sell the stolen data to dark web. [1] Existing centralized phishing detection methods face limitations to mitigate phishing attempts effectively. Therefore, blockchain is introduced to enhance cloud security and prevent phishing attacks.

Techniques

Blockchain provides various ways to mitigate phishing attacks within cloud environments. First, blockchain provides decentralized identity management due to its immutable and traceable nature. All user identities stored in blockchain are difficult to alter or delete, which enhances data accuracy and security of cloud-based systems. Moreover, its decentralized characteristic allows data to be stored securely in distributed manner, avoiding single point failure and reducing the risk of phishing attacks. The integration of Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI), which is an identity management protocol can help in authentication verification while providing full control to users to manage their credentials without relying on a single authority. [2]

Besides, blockchain can be integrated with smart contracts for phishing detection. All suspicious URLs are stored on blockchain, which is known as blacklist. Smart contracts help automate the detection of phishing URLs by checking with blacklist on blockchain, effectively blocking any suspicious phishing attempts in cloud environments. The blacklist stored on blockchain will be updated continuously in real-time once new phishing URLs are detected, ensuring the blacklist remains comprehensive and current.

Conclusion

In conclusion, blockchain technology can strengthen security of cloud infrastructure and mitigate phishing attacks effectively. The decentralized identity management allows authorized users to access cloud resources, reducing vulnerabilities associated with traditional authentication systems. Furthermore, smart contracts automate phishing detection using a up-to-date blacklist to detect and prevent any suspicious URLs in cloud environment in real-time. These blockchain features make cloud environments more secure from phishing attacks by offering a robust and decentralized approach to cloud environments.

Reference

1. K. L. Chiew, K. S. C. Yong, and C. L. Tan, “A survey of phishing attacks: Their types, vectors and technical approaches,” Expert Syst. Appl., vol. 106, pp. 1–20, Sep. 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.eswa.2018.03.050.
2. “Self-Sovereign Identity: The Ultimate Guide 2024.” Accessed: Oct. 28, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.dock.io/post/self-sovereign-identity
3. Gaurav, A., Gupta, B. B., Hsu, C. H., Castiglione, A., & Chui, K. T. (2021). Machine learning technique for fake news detection using text-based word vector representation. In Computational Data and Social Networks: 10th International Conference, CSoNet 2021, Virtual Event, November 15–17, 2021, Proceedings 10 (pp. 340-348). Springer International Publishing. 
4. Gupta, A., Singh, S. K., Gupta, B. B., Chopra, M., & Gill, S. S. (2023). Evaluating the Sustainable COVID-19 Vaccination Framework of India Using Recurrent Neural Networks. Wireless Personal Communications, 133(1), 73-91. 
5. Gupta, B. B., Gaurav, A., Albeshri, A. A., & Alsalman, D. (2023). New paradigms of sustainable entrepreneurship in metaverse: a micro-level perspective. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 19(3), 1449-1465.

Cite As

KEE S.N. (2024) Cloud Infrastructure Security: Blockchain Solutions for Preventing Phishing Attacks, Insights2Techinfo. pp.1

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