Bringing transparency and trustworthiness to loot boxes with blockchain and smart contracts

2021 | Decision Support Systems | Citations: 8

Authors: Carvalho, Arthur

Abstract: The ever-increasing reliance on loot boxes by the video game industry has attrac ... Expand

Abstract: The ever-increasing reliance on loot boxes by the video game industry has attracted scrutiny from consumer groups and regulators. For example, this practice of selling random assortments of virtual items for a price has been criticized for its lack of transparency since, before purchasing a loot box, players do not necessarily know the possible items they can win and the associated probabilities. Even in the rare cases when the list of items and probabilities are available, there are no guarantees that a game is actually using that information when randomly drawing an item, which naturally results in a trust problem. We draw from decision theory to explain the transparency and trust issues faced by loot boxes, and from a recently proposed decision model by Pedersen et al. (2019) to motivate the use of blockchain technology in this context. Following the design science research framework (Peffers et al., 2007), we then explain how loot boxes can be coded as smart contracts running on a blockchain network, and why this solution effectively tackles the transparency and trust problems we mentioned above. We illustrate the use of the proposed smart contract by developing a decentralized application (DApp) that mimics the process of purchasing and opening a loot box. We carefully analyze our solution by considering its computational complexity, accuracy, security, and cost aspects. We further discuss topics related to gover­ nance and deployment so as to help the video game industry with a potential real-life implementation of our solution. Collapse

Topics: loot box blockchain smart contract Ethereum video game

Methods: computational algorithm design artifact design science Pearson's chi squared test of goodness of fit statistical hypothesis test

Theories: decision theory

Beyond the Block: A Novel Blockchain-Based Technical Model for Long-Term Care Insurance

2021 | Journal of Management Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Zhang, Wenping; Wei, Chih-Ping; Jiang, Qiqi; Peng, Chih-Hung; Zhao, J. Leon

Abstract: The insurance business is characterized by complicated transactional interrelati ... Expand

Abstract: The insurance business is characterized by complicated transactional interrelationships among various stakeholders involved in insurance-related activities. Given this unique nature, the century-old challenge in the insurance industry is to effectively reduce transaction costs among the stakeholders while maintaining business privacy and trust. Although blockchain is a promising technology to mitigate this challenge, two technical issues, namely (1) inefficiency in data auditing and (2) difficulty in verifying encrypted data, are of strategic importance when applying blockchain to the insurance industry. To address these technical challenges, we propose an innovative blockchain-based technical model, InsurModel, in the context of newly initiated long-term care insurance in China. Specifically, we utilize cryptographical methods including "zero-knowledge-proof" to 1) represent business interdependence and 2) verify confidential business information without disclosure of specifics. We demonstrate the scalability and applicability of InsurModel and explore its strategic implications in constraining adverse behaviors of the stakeholders. Collapse

Topics: blockchain Bitcoin database system privacy IT manager

Methods: experiment design science applicability check computational algorithm database modeling

Theories: transaction cost economics

Document Verification using Blockchain for Trusted CV Information

2020 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Marella, Venkata; Vijayan, Anoop

Abstract: With the changing landscape of the job market, it is very difficult to secure a ... Expand

Abstract: With the changing landscape of the job market, it is very difficult to secure a job in a company. People manipulate their curriculum vitae with fake information to find a job. Multinational National Companies are investing heavily to verify the background details of the job applicants. But, the background verification process implemented by these companies is extremely costly, time-consuming, and inefficient. To resolve this problem, we present a working prototype of a solution using Design Science Research Methodology where the hash values of all the original documents of a job applicant provided by various organizations are saved on a consortium blockchain. The job applicant's details can be verified during the hiring process by comparing the hash value of the given document with the hash value of the document present on the blockchain. This process is extremely efficient, less time-consuming, and very cheap to implement for all kinds of companies. Collapse

Topics: blockchain Advanced Encryption Standard information privacy law Python privacy

Methods: design science computational algorithm design artifact design process

Investigating 3D Printer Residual Data

2019 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Miller, Daniel Bradford; Gatlin, Jacob; Glisson, William Bradley; Yampolskiy, Mark; McDonald, Jeffery Todd

Abstract: The continued adoption of Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies is raising co ... Expand

Abstract: The continued adoption of Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies is raising concerns in the security, forensics, and intelligence gathering communities. These concerns range from identifying and mitigating compromised devices, to theft of intellectual property, to sabotage, to the production of prohibited objects. Previous research has provided insight into the retrieval of configuration information maintained on the devices, but this work shows that the devices can additionally maintain information about the print process. Comparisons between before and after images taken from an AM device reveal details about the device’s activities, including printed designs, menu interactions, and the print history. Patterns in the storage of that information also may be useful for reducing the amount of data that needs to be examined during an investigation. These results provide a foundation for future investigations regarding the tools and processes suitable for examining these devices. Collapse

Topics: production management 3D printing cryptographic hash function open source database system

Methods: experiment case study literature study

Big data: From beginning to future

2016 | International Journal of Information Management | Citations: 31

Authors: Yaqoob, Ibrar; Hashem, Ibrahim Abaker Targio; Gani, Abdullah; Mokhtar, Salimah; Ahmed, Ejaz; Anuar, Nor Badrul; Vasilakos, Athanasios V.

Abstract: a b s t r a c tBig data is a potential research area receiving considerable att ... Expand

Abstract: a b s t r a c tBig data is a potential research area receiving considerable attention from academia and IT communities. In the digital world, the amounts of data generated and stored have expanded within a short period of time. Consequently, this fast growing rate of data has created many challenges. In this paper, we use structuralism and functionalism paradigms to analyze the origins of big data applications and its current trends. This paper presents a comprehensive discussion on state-of-the-art big data technologies based on batch and stream data processing. Moreover, strengths and weaknesses of these technologies are analyzed. This study also discusses big data analytics techniques, processing methods, some reported case studies from different vendors, several open research challenges, and the opportunities brought about by big data. The similarities and differences of these techniques and technologies based on important parameters are also investigated. Emerging technologies are recommended as a solution for big data problems. Collapse

Topics: big data distributed computing cryptographic hash function parallel computing Cassandra

Methods: case study web mining machine learning social network analysis computational algorithm

Economic Analysis of Cryptocurrency Backed Money Laundering

2015 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 9

Authors: Brenig, Christian; Accorsi, Rafael; Müller, Günter

Abstract: This paper reports on our research towards an economic analysis of money launder ... Expand

Abstract: This paper reports on our research towards an economic analysis of money laundering schemes utilizing cryptocurrencies, which are convertible decentralized virtual currencies based on cryptographic operations. They gain ground as means to offer enterprises and its customers new payment methods, investing opportunities and some are even intended as substitutes for centrally controlled governmentissued fiat currencies. Our starting point is the observation that their increasing popularity attracts the attention of practitioners and scholars, particularly because of raising anti-money laundering concerns. Consequently, work has already been conducted in this area, mainly focusing on implications on anti-money laundering efforts. However, we argue that the potential benefits for criminal individuals are an important, yet neglected factor in the dissemination of cryptocurrencies as money laundering instrument. Addressing this issue, the paper firstly presents the structure of the money laundering process and introduces prevailing anti money-laundering controls. This forms the basis for the subsequent analysis of contextual and transactional factors with respect to their influence on the incentives of criminals to utilize cryptocurrencies for money laundering. This aims at providing an answer to the open question, whether cryptocurrencies constitute a driver for money laundering. Collapse

Topics: cryptocurrency cryptographic hash function public key encryption

Methods: cross sectional research

Enhanced Dynamic Authentication Scheme (EDAS)

2014 | Information Systems Frontiers | Citations: 0

Authors: Truong, Toan-Thinh; Tran, Minh-Triet; Duong, Anh-Duc

Abstract: With non-stop growth in network environments, communication security is necessar ... Expand

Abstract: With non-stop growth in network environments, communication security is necessary. A strong protocol guarantees that users and service providers are secure against many kinds of attacks, such as impersonation and replay attack. Sood et al. proposed an authentication scheme based on dynamic identity to prevent transactions from being intercepted by malicious users. Although they claimed that their scheme has advantages over previous schemes with the same approach, we prove that their scheme is vulnerable to impersonation attack and stolen verification attack, and can be affected by clock synchronization. Therefore we propose a novel authentication scheme to enhance security and overcome limitations existing in Sood’s scheme. Our security analysis shows that our proposed method can efficiently resist known types of attacks. Experimental results also show that the method can be implemented and processed in real-time thus applicable for not only regular computers but also mobile devices. Collapse

Topics: electronic authentication smart card password computer hardware mobile system

Methods: experiment computational algorithm