Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technologies

Blockchain technology offers new paradigms for data integrity, access control, and audit trails. Immutable ledgers provide tamper-evident logs for critical operations. Smart contracts automate access control decisions based on predefined rules. Distributed consensus eliminates single points of failure in security controls. However, blockchain isn't a panacea—scalability limitations, key management challenges, and irreversibility concerns require careful consideration.

Practical applications of blockchain in data security focus on specific use cases rather than wholesale replacement of existing systems. Cryptographic anchoring periodically records data hashes on blockchains, providing tamper evidence without storing sensitive data on-chain. Decentralized identity systems give users control over their identity data. Blockchain-based key management provides distributed trust for cryptographic operations.