Sybil Attack - Reading Assignment

A general idea of a sybil attack is to create enough identities to be able to influence the network. The issue that could allow a sybil attack to occur is the ability to make as many private keys as you want.

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  1. Creation of identitiesā€¦populating the networkā€¦therefore having more control.
  2. It can be used to have control over a network that has voting or be used to find out identity when it comes to privacy networks. When it comes to Payments it can be used for Double spending.Therefore verification techniques needs to be used to prevent a sybil attack.
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2. What deficiencies within a system (such as a cryptocurrency network) can allow a sybil attack to occur?

Yes sir, you could create many private keys, but Iā€™m curious to know how does could be an issue for a sybil attack? could you please describe it a little bit? :thinking:

If you have any doubt, please let us know so we can help you! :slight_smile:

Carlos Z.

2,. Sybil attack can target a specific node or have an attack on the network by obtaining 51% of the network HASH. Further more there are some companies where you can actually pay for Hashing power if needed and can contribute to the malicious attack. Ones the control of the network or a specific node has been achieved the malicious nodes send fake data to the node/or network it wants to influence and the following can be achieved a: double spending,blocking a user,stopping all their transactions and stop them of mining new blocks.Question- I know Ivan like ETH but with reversal of blocks due to a hack makes ETH unethical to me and see ETC as the real thing? What your opinionā€¦do you think we should build a system on these ethics.

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Just creating private key wouldnā€™t really gain control of the network, you would have to grow bigger than the network in some other means, hash power, mining more blocks than the original network to influence it. Thanks for the catch on that, been spending late nights feeding the brain till i fall asleep in my chair.

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  1. Someone being able to spoof/create lots of identities.

  2. Proof of work might be the best way, but other options as grabbing IP/mac addresses would make it harder - in general any ordinary system for identifying robots could be implemented, or the blockchain equivalent.

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  1. One entity assuming a large amount of identities, in order to gain a large level of control over a network.

  2. A bad actor can generate a lot of identities, there is no need to provide proof of your identity. They could potentially influence the verification process as many nodes.

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  1. A Sybil attack is when an entity (a real individual or organization) assumes more than one identity in a P2P network in order to have more voting power, or other benefit.
  2. If a network does not require identity verification (tying the identity of a single node to a single real-world person or entity) then it is easy to perform a Sybil attack upon a crypto network if one has enough resources to run multiple nodes depending on the mechanics of the particular system (given ones ability to pay for proof of work, or to accumulate enough value to influence a proof of stake system, etc)
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  1. A Sybil attack is when an attacker creates multiple identities with an attempt to gain corrupted votes and control a major influence on the network. Justin Sun recently did it with STEEM, colluding with big exchanges to swing network votes in his favour. Maybe we can change the term Sybil with Justin.

  2. When identities can be easily corrupted, the network is exposed and no longer secure.

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  1. In a sybill attack which is often seen in peer to peer networks a node in the network uses or better to say operates with multiple identities at the same time in order to undermines the authority/power, for example in reputation sytems. They want to take control over the network with this kind of attack.

  2. With such an attack the attacker could gain information about spenders and receivers (destroy anonymity) and furthermore they could take over the network (gets more than 51 % of the hashing rate) in order to create double spendings or manipulate transactions.

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  1. Attackers gain influence over a network by creating multiple pseudonymous identities
  2. Little to no fees - complete anonymity - certain consensus algorithms are more vulnerable
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  1. In a Sybil attack, a reputation system is subverted by the creation of multiple identities.
  2. Cheap identity generation; inappropriate degree of acceptance of inputs from from entities that do not have a chain of trust linking them to a trusted entity; and the system treating all entities identically.
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  1. Sybil attacks are essentially when one user spoofs a system to appear as many multiple users, and thereby cheat the system by tilting the table, or putting a hand on the scales.
  2. When anyone can create multiple identities on a network, Sybil attacks are a risk - but using ā€˜proof of workā€™ helps prevent this in cryptocurrency networks like Bitcoin.
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A1. Sybil attacks are instigated by using fake identities on a computer network in order to gain a large enough influence on that network, in which the attacker can manipulate or discredit its reputation system. Reputation systems which do not have strong trust links are especially vulnerable.

A2. An attacker may be able to present many identities under a single entity on a peer-to-peer network to gain control and influence that network, for instance in voting outcomes.

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1. What is the general idea of a Sybil attack?
A sybil attack is when a single person creates multiple identities in order to acquire a disproportionately large influence in a network.

2. What deficiencies within a system (such as a cryptocurrency network) can allow a sybil attack to occur?
It is weakness in the process of creating new identities (easy and cheap) that makes a network vulnerable to sybil attacks.

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What is the general idea of a sybil attack?
To create enough nodes in a peer to peer network to surround single nodes and being able to fool them by being only connection to rest of network.

What deficiencies within a system (such as a cryptocurrency network) can allow a sybil attack to occur?
Creating nodes is cheap enough, or the possible reward of the attack is high enough.
Changing of peers does not happen often enough.
No control mechanism of how many nodes belong to the attacker.

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  1. It is an attack where attacker have created numerous identities to cast voting or other type influence in network.If attacker holds crucial amount of fake accounts then he or she can manipulate network toward attackers favor.

  2. Creating nodes is cheap enough, or the possible reward of the attack is high enough.
    Changing of peers does not happen often enough.
    No control mechanism of how many nodes belong to the attacker.

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1 a sybill attack relies on its ability to create realistic identities the more real the more likely it will work they create a consensus of opinion that effects a peer to peer voting system i.e. say a restaurant has likes and dislikes they can create identities that a system that rates restaurants and change a favorable vote to a negative vote if that system believes they are legitimate i.e. yelp rating system
2 the deficiencies of the system would be inability to prove it is a real person i.e. not using proof of identity pictures banking records these are very laborious to create and expensive making a sybill attack unlikely

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  1. What is the general idea of a sybil attack?
    the attacker subverts the reputation system of a network service by creating a large number of pseudonymous identities and uses them to gain a disproportionately large influence.
  2. What deficiencies within a system (such as a cryptocurrency network) can allow a sybil attack to occur?
    If cheap and easy creations of new identities are possible.
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  • What is the general idea of a sybil attack?
    sybil attack is were one person creates multiple accounts in a peer to peer network to acquire a disproportionate level of control over the network, such as by affecting voting outcomes.

  • What deficiencies within a system (such as a cryptocurrency network) can allow a sybil attack to occur? An example wold be one person having to much influence a voting system.

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