Distributed Ledger Technology to Enhance IT Infrastructure Data Logging

Abstract

The number of information technology (IT) systems and the amount of log data within companies are growing rapidly, fuelled by trends such as digitalisation, cloud technology, and Internet of things (IoT). In addition, regulations for companies in the area of IT security, data retention, and data integrity will further increase in the immediate future. As a result of both streams of influence, IT infrastructure log management is becoming increasingly challenging from a security and auditability perspective. Distributed ledgers, also known as blockchains, are a rising technology that goes far beyond its prominent usage as the underlying principle of cryptocurrencies. Distributed ledgers use the concepts of decentralised computing, cryptography, and hashing to securely and immutably store data. Consequently, distributed ledgers are a promising approach for tackling the increasing security and auditability challenges of IT infrastructure log management. This thesis addresses the following hypothesis: Distributed ledger technology (DLT) can be applied to store IT infrastructure log data to address companies’ security and auditability requirements. The objective is to develop a design blueprint for a possible implementation of a DLT within a company’s existing IT infrastructure data logging environment....