The Winning Pitch of EOS Hackathon London Awarded $100,000

Summary

In the competition, 'Yo Shield' emerges as a blockchain security solution that helps developers and users identify trustworthy smart contract interactions. It offers a simple integration with a smart contract that checks against a database of malicious users ranked by CVE scores. Additionally, it introduces a security certification system akin to SSL certificates, allowing smart contract operators to monetize by selling trust certifications, thus fostering a scalable trust ecosystem in a decentralized environment.

Takeaways

• 🛡️ 'Yo Shield' is a security service for blockchain designed to help developers and users identify trustworthy interactions.
• 👥 It operates by allowing users to check the reputation of blockchain accounts and smart contracts.
• 🕵️‍♂️ It uses a CVE-like scoring system to rank the risk associated with interacting with known malicious users.
• 🚫 The service can automatically prevent contracts from engaging with known bad actors, enhancing security.
• 💾 Yo Shield's core functionality is a single line of code that can be included in any smart contract.
• 📊 It tracks contracts running malware and logs this information for users to check.
• 🌐 Data comes from user reports and a security certification system, similar to SSL Certificates on the internet.
• 🔒 The system offers a white listing feature where smart contract operators can sell security certifications.
• 📊 Users can choose to interact only with contracts that have been certified as trustworthy.
• 🏆 Yo Shield won the competition with a prize of $100,000 and a trip to the grand finale.

Q & A

What is the primary concern that Yo Shield addresses in the context of blockchain?

Yo Shield addresses the concern of security and the unknown nature of interactions on the blockchain, particularly for small businesses running smart contracts, by providing a managed security service that helps identify who they are interacting with.

How does Yo Shield work?

Yo Shield operates by including a single line of code in a smart contract that queries a reputational database of known malicious users, ranked based on a CVE score, to help developers and users understand the risk involved in interacting with certain accounts.

What is the CVE score mentioned in the script?

The CVE score is a metric used by Yo Shield to rank known malicious users based on the risk involved in interacting with them, such as participation in denial of service attacks or theft from other contracts.

How does Yo Shield prevent interaction with malicious users?

Yo Shield allows smart contracts to automatically refuse to engage with users who are known to be malicious, based on the reputational database, thus providing a layer of security.

What is the source of data for Yo Shield's reputational database?

The data comes from two sources: user reports of problematic smart contracts and a security certification system similar to SSL Certificates, where smart contract operators can sell certifications to other developers.

How does the reporting mechanism in Yo Shield work?

Users can report issues with smart contracts, and developers can use these reports to gauge trust levels. The system does not rely on a centralized authority; instead, it uses smart contract queries to determine trustworthiness based on community feedback.

What is the role of the smart contract operator in Yo Shield?

The smart contract operator acts as a potential trusted third party that can audit code and add it to a list of trusted contracts. They can also moderate reports and decide which accounts to trust or blacklist.

How does Yo Shield handle false reports in the system?

Yo Shield mitigates false reports by relying on a 'hive mentality' where a large number of reports against a contract can influence its trust rating. Developers can also choose to trust smart contract operators who use neutral metrics to score contracts.

What recourse does a user have if there's a mistake in Yo Shield's rating system?

Users can petition the contract operator for moderation if they believe there is a mistake in the rating system. The contract operator has the authority to decline or ignore ratings and can add contracts to the list of trusted ones.

How does Yo Shield's security certification system work?

The security certification system works by allowing smart contract operators to sell certifications to developers. After an audit, contracts can be added to a list of trusted contracts, providing a scalable source of trust in a trustless environment.

What was the outcome for the team presenting Yo Shield in the script?

The team presenting Yo Shield won the competition, receiving $100,000 and a trip to the grand finale.