Comparison of Distributed Tamper-Proof Storage Methods for Public Key Infrastructures

Fabian Honecker (), Julian Dreyer and Ralf Tönjes
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Fabian Honecker: Faculty for Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of Applied Sciences, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany
Julian Dreyer: Faculty for Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of Applied Sciences, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany
Ralf Tönjes: Faculty for Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of Applied Sciences, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany

Future Internet, 2022, vol. 14, issue 11, 1-18

Abstract: Modern Public Key Infrastructures (PKIs) allow users to create and maintain centrally stored cryptographic certificates. These infrastructures use a so-called certificate chain. At the root of the chain, a root Certification Authority (CA) is responsible for issuing the base certificate. Every verification and certification step within the chain is based upon the security of said root CA. Thus, its operation security is of great concern. Since the root certificates are stored locally on the root CA, any Denial of Service (DoS) attack may render the whole certificate chain, which is based on of the attacked root CA, inoperable. Therefore, this article evaluates different approaches to a decentralized data storage system that is based on the Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). To show the real-world potential of the proposed approaches, we also evaluate the different technologies using a novel PKI mechanism called Near Field Communication Key Exchange (NFC-KE). The results indicate that modern distributed data storage solutions such as Interplanetary Filesystem (IPFS) and SIA can have significant performance and decentralization benefits in comparison to purely Blockchain-based technologies like Hyperledger Fabric. However, they lack any Smart Contract functionality, which requires a software developer to implement verification mechanisms in centralized software solutions.

Keywords: Public Key Infrastructures; Decentralized Data Storage; Blockchain Data Storage; Certification Authority; Decentralized Trust; Public Key Cryptography (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O3 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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