COVERT-Blockchain: Privacy-Aware Contact Tracing for COVID-19 on a Distributed Ledger

Junaid Ahmed Khan, Kavyashree Umesh Bangalore, Kaan Ozbay

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Privacy preservation in contact tracing for COVID-19 is challenging as such applications tend to reveal users sensitive data which is shared together with their location. This paper proposes COVERT-Blockchain, a novel distributed ledger based platform for contact tracing without revealing users privacy where infected users only share their anonymized location traces on the Blockchain with a sliding window. To further reduce the chances of revealing the corresponding users' trajectories, in COVERT-Blockchain we employ an adaptive logging mechanism to store trajectory data for contact tracing only if the users stayed in a location for longer time duration. COVERT-Blockchain is evaluated for scalability and robustness in terms of overhead and delays in storing and retrieving data, results show it to be efficiently achieving contact tracing without privacy leakage.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publication2021 3rd Conference on Blockchain Research and Applications for Innovative Networks and Services, BRAINS 2021
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Pages31-32
Number of pages2
ISBN (Electronic)9781665439244
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 27 2021
Event3rd Conference on Blockchain Research and Applications for Innovative Networks and Services, BRAINS 2021 - Virtual, Paris, France
Duration: Sep 27 2021Sep 30 2021

Publication series

Name2021 3rd Conference on Blockchain Research and Applications for Innovative Networks and Services, BRAINS 2021

Conference

Conference3rd Conference on Blockchain Research and Applications for Innovative Networks and Services, BRAINS 2021
Country/TerritoryFrance
CityVirtual, Paris
Period9/27/219/30/21

Keywords

  • Blockchain
  • Contact tracing
  • Privacy preservation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Business, Management and Accounting (miscellaneous)
  • Computer Networks and Communications
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Information Systems
  • Information Systems and Management

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