Verifying message authenticity with decentralized tamper-evident logs
Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and processes for distributed logging for securing non-repudiable transactions. Credentials, request information, response information, and action items generated and received by a requesting computing system and a responding computing system, and transmitted between the requesting computing system and the responding computing system are separately recorded and stored in a requestor log maintained by the requesting computing system and in a responder log maintained by the responding computing system.
1. A tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium storing instructions that when executed by one or more processors effectuate operations comprising:
receiving a first message from a first computing system, wherein:
the first message comprises a first set of action items; and
at least some of the first set of action items in the first message are associated with a transaction between the first computing system and a second computing system;
accessing, by the second computing system, a distributed ledger after receiving the first message, wherein:
the distributed ledger comprises one or more records corresponding to the first computing system; and
at least some of the one or more records correspond to a second set of action items;
auditing the first message using a block chain log, wherein the auditing comprises:
determining that at least one of the first set of action items in the first message matches with at least one of the second set of action items to which the one or more records correspond;
in response to auditing, forming, by the second computing system, a response corresponding to the first set of action items to the first message from the first computing system; and
transmitting the response from the second computing system to the first computing system.
2. The medium of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprising:
adding the first set of action items to a first log, associated with the first computing system, prior to the first message being transmitted to the second computing system; and
adding the first set of action items and the response to a second log, associated with the second computing system, prior to the response being transmitted to the first computing system.
3. The medium of claim 2 , wherein:
the first set of action items is added to the second log within a threshold duration of time from the addition of the one or more action items to the first log.
4. The medium of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprising:
adding the first set of action items to the distributed ledger after auditing the first message and prior to transmitting the response to the first computing system.
5. The medium of claim 4 , wherein the addition of the first set of action items to the distributed ledger comprises:
assigning a hash value to each of the first set of action items;
assigning a timestamp to the hash value; and
storing the hash value in the blockchain log.
6. The medium of claim 5 , wherein assigning the hash value is performed using means for hashing.
7. The medium of claim 5 , wherein assigning the hash value is performed using a hashing algorithm, wherein the hashing algorithm comprises:
Rabin's Algorithm;
Message-Digest Algorithm 5;
Secure Hash Algorithm 512; or
Secure Hash Algorithm 256.
8. The medium of claim 1 , wherein:
the first message is received, from the first computing system, and transmitted, from the second computing system, by a software-as-a-service (SaaS) application.
9. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprising:
a third computing system, independent of the first and the second computing systems,
performing auditing the first message using the block chain log stored on the third computing system.
10. The medium of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprising:
receiving a second message from the first computing system, wherein:
the second message comprises a third set of action items; and
at least some of the third set of action items in the second message are associated with a transaction between the first computing system and the second computing system;
accessing, by the second computing system, a distributed ledger after receiving the second message, wherein:
the distributed ledger comprises one or more records corresponding to the first computing system; and
at least some of the one or more records correspond to a fourth set of action items;
forming, by the third computing system, a flagged message when at least one of the third set of action items in the second message does not match with at least one of the fourth set of action items to which the one or more records correspond; and
transmitting the flagged message to the first computing systems and the second computing systems.
11. The medium of claim 1 , wherein:
a copy of the distributed ledger is maintained by the first computing system, the second computing system, and an external computing system.
12. The medium of claim 11 , wherein:
the copy of the distributed ledger is transmitted, by the external computing system, to the first and the second computing systems within a specified duration of time.
13. The medium of claim 12 , wherein:
the specified period of time is determined by a cyber-security administrator associated with the external computing system.
14. The medium of claim 12 , wherein:
the specified period of time is determined based on a threat level or a priority level of the first message.
15. The medium of claim 1 , wherein:
the distributed ledger is a decentralized block chain log.
16. The medium of claim 1 , wherein:
the first computing system is associated with an enterprise, wherein:
the enterprise is a logistics company implementing goods order fulfillment operations;
the enterprise is a credit card issuer;
the enterprise is a lender;
the enterprise is an insurance company;
the enterprise is an insurance company;
the enterprise is a vehicle seller;
the enterprise is a seller of goods,
the enterprise is a wireless operator, or
the enterprise is a bank.
17. The medium of claim 1 , wherein:
a hash value is assigned to each action from the action items in the one or more records corresponding to the first computing system.
18. The medium of claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise:
steps for verifying authenticity.
19. The medium of claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise:
steps for determining a set of actions required to secure non-repudiable transactions.
20. The medium of claim 1 , wherein the auditing the first message using the block chain log is performed independently by the second computing system.
21. A method, comprising:
receiving a first message from a first computing system, wherein:
the first message comprises a first set of action items; and
at least some of the first set of action items in the first message are associated with a transaction between the first computing system and a second computing system;
accessing, by the second computing system, a distributed ledger after receiving the first message, wherein:
the distributed ledger comprises one or more records corresponding to the first computing system; and
at least some of the one or more records correspond to a second set of action items;
auditing the first message using a block chain log, wherein the auditing comprises:
determining that at least one of the first set of action items in the first message matches with at least one of the second set of action items to which the one or more records correspond;
in response to auditing, forming, by the second computing system, a response corresponding to the first set of action items to the first message from the first computing system; and
transmitting the response from the second computing system to the first computing system.
22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:
adding the first set of action items to a first log, associated with the first computing system, prior to the first message being transmitted to the second computing system; and
adding the first set of action items and the response to a second log, associated with the second computing system, prior to the response being transmitted to the first computing system.
23. The method of claim 21 , wherein:
the first set of action items is added to the second log within a threshold duration of time from the addition of the one or more action items to the first log.
24. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:
adding the first set of action items to the distributed ledger after auditing the first message and prior to transmitting the response to the first computing system.
25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the addition of the first set of action items to the distributed ledger comprises:
assigning a hash value to each of the first set of action items;
assigning a timestamp to the hash value; and
storing the hash value in the blockchain log.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein assigning the hash value is performed using means for hashing.
27. The method of claim 25 , wherein assigning the hash value is performed using a hashing algorithm, wherein the hashing algorithm comprises:
Rabin's Algorithm;
Message-Digest Algorithm 5;
Secure Hash Algorithm 512; or
Secure Hash Algorithm 256.
28. The method of claim 21 , wherein:
the first message is received, from the first computing system, and transmitted, from the second computing system, by a software-as-a-service (SaaS) application.
29. The method of claim 28 , further comprising:
a third computing system, independent of the first and the second computing systems, performing auditing the first message using the block chain log stored on the third computing system.
30. The method of claim 29 , further comprising:
receiving a second message from the first computing system, wherein:
the second message comprises a third set of action items; and
at least some of the third set of action items in the second message are associated with a transaction between the first computing system and the second computing system;
accessing, by the second computing system, a distributed ledger after receiving the second message, wherein:
the distributed ledger comprises one or more records corresponding to the first computing system; and
at least some of the one or more records correspond to a fourth set of action items;
forming, by the third computing system, a flagged message when at least one of the third set of action items in the second message does not match with at least one of the fourth set of action items to which the one or more records correspond; and
transmitting the flagged message to the first computing systems and the second computing systems.
31. The method of claim 21 , wherein:
a copy of the distributed ledger is maintained by the first computing system, the second computing system, and an external computing system.
32. The method of claim 31 , wherein:
the copy of the distributed ledger is transmitted, by the external computing system, to the first and the second computing systems within a specified duration of time.
33. The method of claim 32 , wherein:
the specified period of time is determined by a cyber-security administrator associated with the external computing system.
34. The method of claim 32 , wherein:
the specified period of time is determined based on a threat level or a priority level of the first message.
35. The method of claim 21 , wherein:
the distributed ledger is a decentralized block chain log.
36. The method of claim 21 , wherein:
the first computing system is associated with an enterprise, wherein:
the enterprise is a logistics company implementing goods order fulfillment operations;
the enterprise is a credit card issuer;
the enterprise is a lender;
the enterprise is an insurance company;
the enterprise is an insurance company;
the enterprise is a vehicle seller;
the enterprise is a seller of goods,
the enterprise is a wireless operator, or
the enterprise is a bank.
37. The method of claim 21 , wherein:
a hash value is assigned to each action from the action items in the one or more records corresponding to the first computing system.
38. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:
steps for verifying authenticity.
39. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:
steps for determining a set of actions required to secure non-repudiable transactions.
40. The method of claim 21 , wherein the auditing the first message using the block chain log is performed independently by the second computing system.