By Jimmy Drennan
With all of the hype surrounding bitcoin in addition to other cryptocurrencies, it tin sack live hard to assort through the noise in addition to it powerfulness seem trendy to inquire the query “How tin sack this applied scientific discipline practise goodness my organization?” After all, a cryptocurrency started every bit a joke inward observe of domestic dog memes late achieved a $2B valuation. Still, the underlying technological excogitation behind Bitcoin, the blockchain, has real, concrete advantages that tin sack deport on numerous industries, from banking to logistics. Applications inward maritime operations are no exception. Blockchain is essentially a distributed database that incentivizes network consensus to teach inward extremely hard to alteration recorded data. Think of it this way: blockchain is similar a museum that offers gratis entry, but heavily secures each exhibit amongst anti-tamper systems such that they tin sack exclusively live observed, non stolen or defaced. That so-called “immutability property” makes blockchain useful whatever fourth dimension information integrity (i.e. preservation of data) is to a greater extent than of import than information security (i.e. privacy of data).
Ideas are already beingness formulated yesteryear the Secretary of the Navy’s Innovation Advisory Council on how blockchain tin sack improveadditive manufacturing. Perhaps the virtually intriguing instance of how blockchain tin sack assistance naval operations lies inward ensuring an accurate recognized maritime motion-picture demo (RMP). In naval warfare, nil is to a greater extent than of import when forming a kill chain than ensuring i has properly identified the target. RMP is fifty-fifty to a greater extent than critical when relying on networks, in addition to the USA Navy has invested heavily for decades to travel the world’s preeminent networked force. Blockchain has the potential to solve 2 of the Navy’s biggest problems associated amongst edifice RMP: ambiguity in addition to manipulation. In fact, the broader maritime manufacture tin sack also practise goodness from the occupation of blockchain due to inherent security flaws inward the widely used automatic identification scheme (AIS).
What is a Blockchain?
A brief primer on how blockchains function volition assist to illustrate how they tin sack deport on naval operations. H5N1 blockchain used to tape fiscal transactions, called “cryptocurrency,” is maybe the best instance to use. It is a distributed ledger that keeps rail of every transaction always conducted. Bitcoin, the master copy in addition to virtually well-known cryptocurrency, relies upon a large network of independent users to foreclose “double spending.” Since cryptocurrency is only data, in addition to non something tangible that is traded for goods or services, it would ordinarily live slow for someone to pass it twice in addition to delegitimize the entire system. Bitcoin’s unique procedure solved the double spending job yesteryear calling upon its network users to function together to verify each transaction. Bitcoin conducts “consensus building” yesteryear offering a prize (currently 12.5 bitcoin) to a randomly selected user helping to verify the latest transaction. Once consensus is built in addition to a transaction is verified, a novel 12.5 bitcoin is awarded (i.e. mined) in addition to the transaction is recorded to the blockchain. Each subsequent transaction is built upon the last, making it real hard to retroactively manipulate information on the blockchain. In fact, the exclusively way for a nefarious purpose musician to alteration a previous transaction or tape an invalid transaction would live to accomplish 51 per centum of the computing powerfulness on the bitcoin network. For reference, today the world’s virtually powerful supercomputer, China’s Sunway Taihulight, would comprise only 0.6 per centum of the bitcoin network’s computing power, which is growing exponentially.
Recognized Maritime Picture
U.S. in addition to coalition navies rely on secure tactical information networks to part information from a diversity of sensors to construct RMP. Since RMP is built from the input of numerous, widely distributed users inward these networks, they are susceptible to errors similar “dual tracks” (i.e. a unmarried send or aircraft beingness broadcast to the network every bit 2 contacts) or faulty navigational information causing a send to misreport its ain course of pedagogy in addition to speed. These errors tin sack Pb to ambiguity inward RMP that could Pb to critical delays inward successfully identifying a threat. Tactical information networks are also susceptible to intrusion in addition to manipulation, no thing how secure they are. Like whatever cybersecurity scheme designed to hold unauthorized users out, navies constantly strive to brand their tactical information networks to a greater extent than secure against always to a greater extent than determined adversaries.
Blockchain applied scientific discipline tin sack assist navies mitigate the problems of ambiguity in addition to manipulation inward edifice RMP. By edifice tactical information networks on a blockchain foundation, ambiguity volition live resolved naturally every bit “consensus” develops some novel tracks in addition to they are distributed throughout the network. Once consensus is built some a track, blockchain’s immutability belongings makes it real hard for subsequent users to clutter RMP amongst errant information on that track. Likewise, an unauthorized user trying to manipulate RMP yesteryear infiltrating tactical information networks volition live challenged to alteration information on established tracks. Even if a cyber assault attempted to insert novel imitation tracks into the network, specialized blockchain features could live developed to override rail information that is non corroborated yesteryear friendly sensors. H5N1 blockchain that utilizes especial features in addition to operates on secure networks is an instance of a private blockchain. Going dorsum to the museum example, a private blockchain is similar a museum that employs robust anti-tamper systems on the exhibits, but also restricts entry to museum members only. H5N1 disadvantage of a private blockchain is the reduction inward available computing power, due to express users, to ensure information integrity. The toll of rebuilding USA in addition to coalition navy tactical information networks from the Earth upwards utilizing blockchain volition probable live significant; however, the advantages inward information integrity yesteryear mitigating ambiguity in addition to manipulation are worth analyzing.
Much every bit USA in addition to coalition navies could practise goodness from private blockchain, the maritime manufacture at large could practise goodness from populace blockchain to better its RMP. Worldwide, mariners occupation AIS – an opened upwards network of send position, course, in addition to speed information – every bit a top dog tool for edifice RMP. Implemented inward the early on 2000s, AIS has been critical to improving security of navigation. Still, AIS has inherent flaws that blockchain could live used to fix. Because it is opened upwards source, AIS information tin sack easily live manipulated to brand a send look inward a dissimilar location, study imitation course of pedagogy in addition to speed, or fifty-fifty mimic some other ship’s identity. As Glenn Hayes explains inward the Maritime Electronics Journal, AIS “is vulnerable to malicious transmissions in addition to runs the direct chances of beingness manipulated yesteryear individuals seeking to deceive the system.” Illegal fishing, piracy, in addition to smuggling are only a few of the reasons i powerfulness seek to deceive AIS. As occupation of AIS spreads, potential security issues volition exclusively increase. The information manipulation that AIS is susceptible to isexactly the type of vulnerability that blockchain was developed to address. With targeted funding in addition to industry-wide effort, blockchain tin sack provide information integrity to AIS to better maritime security in addition to deter illegal activity at sea.
Countering Maritime Smuggling
Another potential application of blockchain inward maritime operations could live inward provide chain improvements to counter maritime smuggling of drugs, weapons, or whatever illicit cargo. Lieutenant Junior Grade Henry Bond wrote an insightful article for USA Naval Institute Proceedings on the potential for blockchain to protect the DoD provide chain. Lieutenant Bond’s analysis tin sack live expanded to include the global transportation industry. Specifically, smugglers oft exploit the inherent difficulties inward conducting cargo inspections on container ships yesteryear concealing contraband inside legitimate cargo inward innocuous, unmarked containers. Economic in addition to operational constraints practise non oft let for the fourth dimension it would receive got to opened upwards in addition to inspect hundreds of containers pierside, in addition to physical constraints usually prohibit at-sea inspection. So, to counter maritime smuggling via container ships, navies in addition to constabulary enforcement agencies must focus on deterring the occupation of containers vice locating illicit cargo inward transit. Blockchain portends to deed every bit a potential deterrent yesteryear openly in addition to irrevocably recording the condition of every container inward the provide chain. Essentially, each container could live treated similar a “transaction” inward the blockchain, in addition to thus that in i lawsuit it is loaded every bit business office of a legitimate shipment, its condition relative to all other nearby containers is “locked down,” making it real hard to mix inward an illegitimate container at a subsequently point. Events similar the opening or repositioning of a container could also live recorded every bit “transactions” to farther complicate smugglers’ to conceal illicit cargo.
Ideas similar those of Lieutenant Bond or the SECNAV Innovation Board are sound, but they necessitate farther evolution because blockchain is soundless a nascent technology. DoD, in addition to the maritime manufacture at large, would practise good to assign additional inquiry funding to pursue ideas for applying blockchain inward national defense forcefulness in addition to maritime safety.
Jimmy Drennan is the Vice President of CIMSEC. These views are the author’s lonely in addition to practise non necessarily reverberate the seat of whatever authorities agency.
Featured Image: ORLANDO, Fla. (August 12, 2014) Sailors develop on a novel diesel fuel generator simulator during a projection review at Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division inward Orlando, Fla. (U.S. Navy photograph yesteryear Darrell Conley/Released)
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