RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Big Blue is deepening its commitment to blockchain with a move that could mean wider use of the technology that could change global supply chains.

IBM recently filed for a patent to protect a blockchain-based web browser created by its scientists, a move that would take peer-to-peer networking to new levels.

And such a browser could help protect companies from hackers.

“According to the application, if a computer browser is attacked, the blockchain will contain the most current browser history,” notes World Intelectual Property Review.

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Adds cyrptocurrency news site CoinDesk: “As the company states, a blockchain-based browser ‘affords a system for storing browsing information such that privacy is preserved and places privacy in the ‘hands of a user’ rather than a third party.'”

A blockchain  is a growing list of records, called blocks, which are linked using cryptography.Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, a timestamp, and transaction data, according to Wikipedia.

IBM already has launched numerous blockchain products and recently kicked off a new supply effort that has drawn support from Lenovo, GSK as well as several other tech firms.

The website notes that IBM announced in 2018 plans to work with data storage firm Seagate Technology to “explore how blockchain technologies can generate ‘electronic fingerprints,’ which can be used to reduce the counterfeiting of hard drives.”

Lead scientists on the project are based in China, according to the patent filing.

“The browser collects pre-specified information from web browsing sessions, according to the patent,” reports William Foxley at CoinDesk, a news site focused on digital and cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin.

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“The information is then transferred to a network of peer-to-peer nodes for collection and storage. Information collection depends on the type of browsing experience chosen. Browsing on a work computer versus a personal browser would demand different settings, for example.

“Types of potentially storable session information include what websites one visits, bookmarks, task performance, geolocation, plugin installation, and security patches.”

Inside the technology

In the filing, IBM explains its technology:

“A method comprising:

“A. forming a consortium blockchain network using domain network nodes and selecting committee members from top-level domain nodes;

“B. the committee member who received most votes packs the genesis block and generates a random number;

“C. the housekeeper having the same number as the random number packs the current block and generates a random number for selecting a next housekeeper to pack the next block, each block is approved by more than half of the committee members;

“D. during the duty cycle, each housekeeper takes turns packing blocks and generating random numbers and the process is repeated. If a block is not approved, the housekeeper with the next number is requested to repack the block; and

“E. the last random number generated by a housekeeper before the duty cycle ends is used to select the housekeeper to pack the first block of the next duty cycle.”

However, CoinDesk points out there are competitors for the blockchain browser idea, such as Norway-based Opera, a web browser developer, with its Opera Touch which contains a cryptocurrency “wallet.”

IBM Files Patent for a Blockchain-Based Web Browser