Date of Award

5-2021

Document Type

Project

Degree Name

Master of Science in Information Systems and Technology

Department

Information and Decision Sciences

First Reader/Committee Chair

Shayo, Conrad

Abstract

Cybercrime is becoming increasingly sophisticated and devastating as time carries on while many processes and workflows that exist within organizations are stagnant. This project analyzed Blockchain Technology as a use-case for building upon simple processes and workflows that are often overlooked within organizations for the purpose of hardening security and strengthening non-repudiation. This project examined three main questions relating to; how Blockchain can enhance traditional cyber security practices, how Blockchain can be introduced to organizations as a ground-breaking and worthwhile solution to countering cyber-attacks, and the benefits and risks of implementing Blockchain within an organization. An investigation of traditional cyber security practices and existing use-cases of Blockchain Technology was conducted alongside the development of two prototype Blockchain applications in order to illustrate organizational use-cases. The results of this study concluded that Blockchain is capable of enhancing traditional cyber security best practices by serving as an effective method of access control; Blockchain can be introduced to organizations through platforms such as SIMBA that are easy to use and simple to understand; and lastly, there are various benefits and risks of implementing Blockchain within an organization such as the benefit of increased transparency and accountability and the risk of the technology being costly and complicated to implement. Areas of further research include the utilization of Blockchain-based voting systems to ensure the integrity of elections, as well as tracking those who have or have not received vaccinations.

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