Secure blockchain-based reputation system for IIoT-enabled retail industry with resistance to sybil attack

Abstract

Leveraging the recent surge in the electronic retail industry, retailer reputation has emerged with increasing significance in shaping consumer purchasing decisions. Despite this, the existing reputation platforms remain largely centralized, thereby enabling retailers to exert total control over reputation services, a reality that compromises the authentic portrayal of retailers. In response, we introduce a secure blockchain-based reputation system, named BlockRep, designed explicitly for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) enabled retail industry. By eliminating dependency on trust inherently foundation in established E-retail platforms, BlockRep effectively resists sybil attack while ensuring review anonymity and authenticity, both critical security requirements of reputation systems. Initially, we champion a hybrid framework designed to enhance user interaction with our system. This approach leverages the centralized E-retail platform to facilitate trade services, whilst unfolding upon a blockchain platform that firmly authenticates the legitimacy of individual reviews. The authentication process is thus anchored to the correctness of cryptographic tokens, which are subsequently deposited on the blockchain. Additionally, we introduce a novel concept, ‘tax-endorsed reviews,’ devised to resist sybil attacks, such as injecting fake positive reviews for itself. Consequently, this necessitates the implementation of a four-party collaboration protocol. Finally, the security analysis complemented with our experimental results, definitively showcase the security and efficiency of BlockRep.