Open Grant Proposal: Decentralized Cybersecurity Log Management

[Adithya-adi-Menon]

Open Grant Proposal: Decentralized Cybersecurity Log Management

Project Name: Decentralized Cybersecurity Log Management

Proposal Category: Storage

Individual or Entity Name: Adithya Menon Sanil

Proposer: adithya-adi-menon

Project Repo(s): https://github.com/Decentalized-Log-Management/Decentalized-Log-Management

Do you agree to open source all work you do on behalf of this RFP under the MIT/Apache-2 dual-license?: Yes

Project Summary

Cybersecurity professionals face increasing challenges with managing and analyzing vast amounts of security logs generated by various systems. Traditional centralized log management solutions are prone to single points of failure, data tampering, and security breaches. Our project aims to address these challenges by developing a decentralized cybersecurity log management platform utilizing IPFS, Filecoin, and the Filecoin Virtual Machine (FVM).

The platform will leverage IPFS for immutable and distributed storage of security logs, ensuring data integrity and availability. Filecoin will be used to incentivize storage providers and ensure long-term data retention. Additionally, FVM will facilitate smart contract-based automation of log management tasks, such as integrity verification and access control. This decentralized approach will enhance the security, resilience, and transparency of log management, addressing critical pain points in current solutions.

Impact

This proposal addresses several key issues in cybersecurity log management:

• Pain Points: Centralized systems are vulnerable to data breaches, tampering, and availability issues. They also often lack transparency and auditability.
• Benefits: By decentralizing the storage and management of security logs, our project will improve data integrity, resilience, and transparency. This will help organizations quickly identify and respond to security incidents while reducing the risk of data loss or manipulation.
• Impact: The project will benefit cybersecurity teams across various industries by providing a more secure and reliable log management solution. Success will be measured by the adoption of the platform by cybersecurity professionals and organizations, and by its ability to effectively manage and secure logs.

Outcomes

The final deliverables for this project will include:

1. Decentralized Log Storage System: A platform utilizing IPFS to store and distribute security logs.
2. Incentivization Mechanism: Integration of Filecoin to incentivize storage providers and ensure long-term data retention.
3. Smart Contract Automation: Implementation of FVM-based smart contracts to automate log integrity checks and access control.
4. User Interface: A user-friendly interface for interacting with the decentralized log management system.

Success will be measured by:

• System Performance: The effectiveness of the decentralized storage and retrieval of logs.
• Adoption Rates: Number of organizations and cybersecurity professionals using the platform.
• User Feedback: Positive feedback from users regarding the platform's functionality and security.

Adoption, Reach, and Growth Strategies

Our target audience includes cybersecurity professionals, IT departments, and organizations dealing with sensitive data. This audience is substantial, with increasing demand for secure and reliable log management solutions.

To engage this audience:

• Initial Outreach: We will reach out to cybersecurity communities and forums to introduce the platform and gather feedback.
• Onboarding Strategy: For initial users, we will offer demos, free trials, and support to facilitate adoption.
• Growth Plan: We plan to collaborate with cybersecurity industry influencers and participate in relevant conferences and webinars to increase visibility.

Development Roadmap

Milestone 1: Project Planning and Design (October 2024 - November 2024)

• Functionality: Define project scope, architecture, and design specifications.
• Team: 2 developers, 1 cybersecurity expert
• Funding: $5,000
• Duration: 2 months

Milestone 2: Decentralized Log Storage Implementation (December 2024 - February 2025)

• Functionality: Develop and deploy the IPFS-based log storage system.
• Team: 3 developers, 1 project manager
• Funding: $10,000
• Duration: 3 months

Milestone 3: Incentivization and Smart Contract Integration (March 2025 - May 2025)

• Functionality: Integrate Filecoin for incentivization and deploy FVM-based smart contracts.
• Team: 2 developers, 1 blockchain specialist
• Funding: $10,000
• Duration: 3 months

Milestone 4: User Interface and Testing (June 2025 - August 2025)

• Functionality: Develop the user interface and conduct extensive testing.
• Team: 2 developers, 1 UI/UX designer
• Funding: $5,000
• Duration: 3 months

Total Budget Requested

Milestone #	Description	Deliverables	Completion Date	Funding
1	Project Planning and Design	Project scope and design specifications	November 2024	$5,000
2	Decentralized Log Storage Implementation	IPFS-based log storage system	February 2025	$10,000
3	Incentivization and Smart Contract Integration	Filecoin integration and FVM smart contracts	May 2025	$10,000
4	User Interface and Testing	User interface and testing results	August 2025	$5,000

Maintenance and Upgrade Plans

Post-launch, we will focus on:

• Ongoing Maintenance: Regular updates and bug fixes to ensure system stability and security.
• Feature Upgrades: Incorporating user feedback and adding new features based on evolving needs.
• Community Engagement: Continual engagement with the user community for feedback and support.

Team

Team Members

• [Team Member 1]: Adithya Menon Sanil

Team Member LinkedIn Profiles

• [Team Member 1 LinkedIn profile] https://www.linkedin.com/in/adithyamenons/

Relevant Experience

Our team has extensive experience in cybersecurity, decentralized systems, and blockchain development. We have successfully completed similar projects, including decentralized storage solutions and cybersecurity tools, making us well-equipped to deliver this project.

Team code repositories

• https://github.com/Adithya-adi-Menon/

Additional Information

We learned about the Open Grants Program through hackathons.

For discussing the grant agreement and the next steps, please contact us at [email protected].

[ErinOCon]

HI @Adithya-adi-Menon, thanks for the submission! Having an externally accountable system that can't be edited can be a great protection against an attacker maliciously redacting information about an attack, but it can also cause challenges if the original owner of the logs needs to redact sensitive data or personally identifiable information. We're a little bit concerned about putting such info on a public network like Filecoin, even encrypted.

Can you explain more about what you're planning to do to sanitize and de-anonymize the logs to make sure security keys, personal information, and other sensitive data are not included in the published logs accidentally? Do you have a specific subset of logs or applications you're planning to target that are lower risk? For example, anonymized bug reports and stack traces would be less sensitive than something like API or user access logs.

[Adithya-adi-Menon]

Hi @ErinOCon, Thank you for your insightful feedback regarding the handling of sensitive data in our decentralized log management system. Your concerns are valid, and I appreciate the opportunity to clarify our approach.

Data Sanitization and Anonymization Strategies
Log Filtering: Prior to the storage of logs on our decentralized platform, we will implement a rigorous filtering mechanism. This will involve a comprehensive analysis to identify and exclude sensitive data elements, such as personally identifiable information (PII) and security credentials. We will establish clear guidelines for determining what constitutes sensitive information, balancing the need for security with the utility of the logs.

Anonymization Techniques: We intend to employ advanced anonymization techniques, including tokenization and hashing. For example, user identifiers will be replaced with pseudonymous tokens, effectively obscuring individual identities while retaining the log’s usefulness for analysis. However, while these methods can enhance privacy, they may introduce complexities in correlating data for legitimate troubleshooting, as the original context may be lost.

Access Control Mechanisms: Although logs will be stored on a decentralized network, we will incorporate strict access control mechanisms via smart contracts. This will ensure that only authorized personnel can access specific subsets of logs, thereby safeguarding sensitive information. The challenge here lies in maintaining a balance between accessibility for legitimate users and preventing unauthorized access.

Targeted Applications and Log Types
Initially, our focus will be on log types that present a lower risk in terms of sensitive information exposure. Examples include:

Anonymized Bug Reports: These can provide critical insights for development and security teams without compromising user confidentiality. The downside is that, if not properly managed, even anonymized reports could inadvertently reveal patterns that lead to identification of individuals.

Stack Traces: When anonymized, stack traces can significantly aid in debugging processes while minimizing exposure of operational details. However, reliance on these logs can sometimes lead to oversights in more sensitive operational contexts, necessitating a careful review process.

Continuous Evaluation and Improvement
We will institute a periodic review process to evaluate the types of logs being collected and their associated risks. This will allow us to adapt our data sanitization practices based on user feedback and evolving security landscapes.

In conclusion, our strategy integrates a combination of proactive data sanitization, targeted logging practices, and robust access controls to effectively mitigate risks associated with storing logs on a decentralized network. While these methods enhance security and privacy, they also introduce potential challenges that we will continuously address to ensure a reliable and secure logging solution.

Please feel free to reach out if you have further questions or require additional details on any specific aspect!

[ErinOCon]

Hi @Adithya-adi-Menon, I hope you are doing well! Your project is currently shortlisted as a review candidate. If we have any remaining questions, we will contact you on this thread.

If you have questions on your end, please feel welcome to be in touch at [email protected]. We would be happy to connect.

[Adithya-adi-Menon]

Hello @ErinOCon

Thank you for the update! I appreciate the opportunity to have my project shortlisted for review. If there are any further questions or clarifications needed from my side, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

In the meantime, I will stay available for any follow-up communication. Looking forward to the next steps.

Best regards,
Adithya Menon