By: Jampula Navaneeth1,2
1Vel Tech University, Chennai, India
2International Center for AI and Cyber Security Research and Innovations, Asia University, Taiwan Email: navaneethjampula@gmail.com
Abstract
Phishing attacks can be recognized as one of the most rapidly developing threats in the context of the digital environment since it targets the weak spots of the standard cybersecurity models. Blockchain technology can minimize these threats through innovation in email authentication, website verification, and action through smart contract. In this article, we discuss the application of blockchain for the purpose of improving the phishing detection to transform cybersecurity for various fields.
Keywords: Phishing Attacks, Blockchain, Cybersecurity, Challenges
Introduction
Phishing is a relatively new type of threat in that it falls within the purview of cyberspace and includes a range of goals, including business, government and private individuals. New research shows that phishing is used in more than 90% of all cyber-attacks, and the techniques are evolving because of barriers including firewalls, antivirus, and email filters. Phishing is a form of fraud performed through spam e-mail, fake Web sites, or even SMS where the attacker tries to lure the victim into providing their personal information including; the user/pass, credit card numbers, or identity numbers [1].
Nevertheless, different advancements in cybersecurity, phishing attacks remains relatively hard to identify and mitigate against. As the motivations move more towards psychological analyses, rather than technology infrastructure, it has become clear, that traditional security solutions do not suffice to combat these threats. By examining the application potential of the rather young technology of the blockchain that has more tendencies toward transparency, decentralization, and security compared to the traditional systems, it is possible to define more efficient approaches to handling and combating the phishing challenges.
Blockchain for Email Authentication
In case of the real phishing links the easiest and most often used method of sharing is e-mail since it is one of the most popular and quite simple to use [2]. Phishing is a method whereby the attacker aims at belonging to a legitimate entity We can consider an example of the situation whereby the attacker pretends to be part of the organization and convinces an innocent user into transferring identity through links with desirable characteristics. It is worthy to note that SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are skewed by configuration problems and do not counter current day email fraud schemes [3].
Blockchain also introduces email authenticity that does not necessarily entail authority but embraces an MSN comprising digital signatures and a journal. In the case of the occurring email communication, a sender when sending an email, it becomes safe for the receiver to input and verify the sender’s address on a blockchain network [1]. The signature is checked by the recipient’s email client against the blockchain proving that this is actually an email and is genuine.
For instance, large companies may record their domain on the blockchain and associate each composed email with a data entry in the blockchain space, making the entire process unalterable. It reduces the chances of receiving fake emails and puts the enemy on the danger side, avoiding employees and customers from phishing scams. An example of such threats is Business Email Compromise (BEC), where the attacker pretends to be a company officer; via blockchain-based authentication, the latter can be arrested.
Website Verification through Blockchain
- Phishing Websites: A Gateway to Fraud
Phishing websites imitate other existing real website therefore the users are misled and they are required to submit sensitive information such as username and password or account information respectively. DNS is a critical feature of the world wide web platform that secures resource handling through the Internet; however, DNS hijacking or spoofing enables maniacs to navigates users to wrong settings silently [4].
Blockchain can help in changing website verification by using a decentralized DNS. In this system, domain ownership and verification records are stored at block chain for the user wherein he/ she will easily get the details of the valid website. Blockchain based DNS guarantees any variation in ownership of the domain or the certificates is recorded and therefore there is no spoofing or altered DNS.
- Real-World Application: Website Verification at Scale
For instance, a financial institution might build on blockchain to verify its online presence; every transaction, as well as changes in the domain registrar of the site could be recorded on a blockchain system [5]. The customers visiting the website of a company can use browser add-ons or applications that interact with the blockchain for obtaining information on the legitimacy of the website. If it is invalid or there is no record on the blockchain the error can be reported to the browser and the user can be protected from phishing sites.
Smart Contracts for Automated Phishing Detection
- The power of automation in cybersecurity
In this section, the authors have also explained the relevance of this article and the relevance of automation in cyberspace. Virtually all the phishing attacks are urgent hence requiring the victim to take action within a short span of time. Generally, these responses can be put in a smart contract on a block chain basis and the responses through this will be very fast and light with minimal human interference. Smart contracts are self-fulfilling contracts that take predefined actions as soon as conditions are quantified [6].
- Phishing Detection using Automated Smart Contracts
For phishing, smart contracts can be developed to detect any details of phishing in the email heads, links or attachments. For instance, should an incoming subject contain hyperlinks or being forwarding from unsuitable domain, the smart contract may purge the subject or notify security authorities or ban the sender’s IP address.
Furthermore, smart contracts can also be used to track down employee’s access to certain Websites within the corporation. If an employee by some chance tries to go to a phishing site, the smart contract could stop the connection and raise an alarm [7]. These automated responses enable the organisations to combat the phishing threats in real time manner, without going through time-consuming manual security check.
Conclusion
In the current technology and age of advanced phishing attacks, simple cybersecurity mechanisms may not necessarily shield on from such threats. Blockchain technologies have potential solutions in the field of email authentication, website verification, as well as detection of phishing. Knowing the characteristics of phishing at the present stage and with reference to the possibilities of using blockchain technology, one can emphasize that with its help, organizations can develop a more reliable security system against such types of attacks in the future.
References
- A. Ibrahim and T. L. Nguyen, “Exploring Blockchain Solutions to Cybersecurity Challenges,” Jan. 2024.
- S. Mahmood, M. Chadhar, and S. Firmin, “Cybersecurity Challenges in Blockchain Technology: A Scoping Review,” Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, vol. 2022, no. 1, p. 7384000, 2022, doi: 10.1155/2022/7384000.
- M. Rahaman, C. Y. Lin, I. Rachmat, R. Bansal, and Prayitno, “Secure Health Features: Implementing Hyperledger Fabric in Blockchain-Driven Healthcare Management Systems,” in Digital Forensics and Cyber Crime Investigation, CRC Press, 2024.
- H. Heyasat and B. Bhatti, “Enhancing Cybersecurity Through Blockchain: An Analysis of Solutions for Threats and Vulnerabilities – An Agency Theory Perspective,” in Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Innovations in Computing Research (ICR’24), K. Daimi and A. Al Sadoon, Eds., Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2024, pp. 524–537. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-65522-7_46.
- B. Alotaibi, “Utilizing Blockchain to Overcome Cyber Security Concerns in the Internet of Things: A Review,” IEEE Sensors Journal, vol. 19, no. 23, pp. 10953–10971, Dec. 2019, doi: 10.1109/JSEN.2019.2935035.
- L. Liu, W.-T. Tsai, Md. Z. A. Bhuiyan, H. Peng, and M. Liu, “Blockchain-enabled fraud discovery through abnormal smart contract detection on Ethereum,” Future Generation Computer Systems, vol. 128, pp. 158–166, Mar. 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.future.2021.08.023.
- T. R. Vance and A. Vance, “Cybersecurity in the Blockchain Era : A Survey on Examining Critical Infrastructure Protection with Blockchain-Based Technology,” in 2019 IEEE International Scientific-Practical Conference Problems of Infocommunications, Science and Technology (PIC S&T), Oct. 2019, pp. 107–112. doi: 10.1109/PICST47496.2019.9061242.
- Deborah, L. J., Vijayakumar, P., Gupta, B. B., & Pelusi, D. (Eds.). (2023). Secure Data Management for Online Learning Applications. CRC Press.
- Gupta, B. B. (Ed.). (2021). Advances in Malware and Data-driven Network Security. IGI Global.
- Sharma, P. C., Mahmood, M. R., Raja, H., Yadav, N. S., Gupta, B. B., & Arya, V. (2023). Secure authentication and privacy-preserving blockchain for industrial internet of things. Computers and Electrical Engineering, 108, 108703.
Cite As
Navaneeth J. (2024) Exploring Blockchain Solutions for Phishing and Cybersecurity Challenges, Insights2Techinfo, pp.1