DESC:METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CREATING DECENTRALIZED REPOSITORY OF FRAUD IPs AND PUBLISHERS USING BLOCKCHAIN

TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of fraud detection systems and, in particular, relates to a method and system for creating a decentralized repository of fraud IPs and publishers accessible in real time.
BACKGROUND
[0002] With the advancements in technology over the last few years, users have predominantly shifted towards smartphones for accessing multimedia content. Nowadays, users access content through a number of mobile applications available for download through various online application stores. Businesses (Advertisers) have started focusing on generating revenue by targeting consumers through these mobile applications. In addition, businesses have started investing heavily on doing business through these mobile applications. Moreover, businesses (publishers and/or advertising networks) have started developing advertisement capable applications for serving advertisements through these mobile applications. These advertisements are published in real time or fixed placements through these mobile applications and watched by the users. The advertisers are benefited in terms of internet traffic generated on clicking, taking action like installing or on watching these advertisements. However, certain online publishers and advertising networks working with these publishers take undue advantage of this in order to generate high revenues. These online publishers and advertising networks employ fraudulent techniques in order to generate clicks, or increasing actions like increasing number of application installs for the advertisers through fraudulent means. This results in a loss of advertisers marketing budget spent as many times these publishers claim a normal user-initiated action (Organic action, e.g. Organic Install) as one initiated by them or at times the clicks or application installs are not driven by humans at all and instead by bots. There is a consistent need to stop publishers from performing such types of click fraud and transaction fraud.
OBJECT OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0003] A primary object of the present disclosure is to provide a method and system to create a decentralized repository of Fraud IPs, Device Types, Device IDs and publishers for access in real time.
[0004] Another object of the present disclosure is to utilize blockchain technology to develop a shared ledger of blacklist and whitelist of fraud IPs and publishers.
[0005] Another object of the present disclosure is to enable plurality of stakeholders to access the decentralized repository of Fraud IPs, Device Types, Device IDs and publishers.
[0006] Yet another object of the present disclosure is to blacklist IPs, publishers who are performing fraudulent techniques to generate more revenue.
[0007] Yet another object of the present disclosure is to make the plurality of stakeholders responsible for accepting these lists through acknowledgements.
[0008] Yet another object of the present disclosure is to prevent loss to advertisers by providing access to the blacklist and the whitelist.
[0009] Yet another object of the present disclosure is to reduce the cost of accessing the database in real time for all the stakeholders and to reduce the transaction and computation cost of accessing while maintaining low latency.
[0010] Yet another object of the present disclosure is to allow for blacklisted publishers or IPs to submit an appeal for removal from the blacklist to the gatekeeper.
SUMMARY
[0011] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a computer system. The computer system includes one or more processors and a memory. The memory is coupled to the one or more processors. The memory stores instructions. The instructions are executed by the one or more processors. The execution of instructions causes the one or more processors to perform a method for creating decentralized repository of fraud IP and publishers using block chain. The method includes a first step for addition of a ledger in decentralized shared ledger for each interactions on an application. In addition, the method includes second step to authorize at least one of a plurality of stakeholders to access the decentralized shared ledger. The authorization is done after receiving a request from at least one of the plurality of stakeholders. Further, the method includes third step to analyze the interaction and past data received from a plurality of stake holders. Further, the method includes fourth step to block device IPs, device Id’s, device type and the publishers mentioned in blacklist of the decentralized shared ledger. Each of the interactions is associated with one or more advertisements displayed on the one or more media devices. The addition is done based on a smart contract. Authorization is done based on unique root key. The analysis is done to identify the fraud behavior. The analysis is done in real time. The blacklist is created based on scoring of the publishers in real time.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
[0012] Having thus described the invention in general terms, references will now be made to the accompanying figures, wherein:
[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates an interactive computing environment for creation of decentralized repository for stakeholders using blockchain, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0014] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a blockchain system, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure; and
[0015] FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of a computing device, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0016] It should be noted that the accompanying figures are intended to present illustrations of exemplary embodiments of the present invention. These figures are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It should also be noted that accompanying figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates an interactive computing environment 100 for creation of a decentralized repository for a plurality of stakeholders 114 using blockchain. The interactive computing environment 100 shows the interaction between multiple entities for creation of a decentralized shared ledger 110. Further, the interactive computing environment 100 shows the interaction between various entities for the creation of the decentralized repository of fraud IPs and publishers 120. The interactive computing environment 100 shows creation and utilization of the decentralized data by the pluralityof stakeholders 114 for prevention of fraud performed by one or more users 102 or the publishers 120.
[0018] In general, blockchain is a continuously growing list of records, called blocks, which are linked and secured using cryptography. The blockchain uses cryptography in order to securely transfer data and each block of the blockchain contains a hash of previous block, a timestamp, and data. The blockchain helps secure and record data efficiently for transmission when needed by the one or more users 102. The blockchain helps to create a more secure collection of data by using cryptography such that data does not get affected by external means.
[0019] The interactive computing environment 100 includes the one or more users 102, one or more media devices 104, an application 106 and a block chain network 108. In addition, the interactive computing environment includes a decentralized shared ledger 110, a central repository 112 and the plurality of stakeholders 114. Each of the components of the interactive computing environment 100 interacts with each other to create the decentralized repository of fraud IPs and publishers 120. The interactive computing environment 100 aids in tackling online advertisement fraud in the application 106 on the one or more media devices 104 in real-time.
[0020] The online advertisement fraud in mobile applications refers to use of fraudulent techniques by the publishers 120 to generate fake online traffic. The online traffic is faked through techniques such as click fraud, transaction fraud and the like. The click fraud refers to the generation of fraudulent clicks through online bots which are not identifiable to advertisers 116 who treat the same as genuine online traffic. The transaction fraud refers to enabling mobile application installs by providing some incentive to the one or more users 102 in real time or making claims of initiating the install via fake clicks and bots.
[0021] In addition, the interactive computing environment 100 includes the one or more users 102 who is any person present at any location and access the multimedia content. The one or more users 102 is any legal person or natural person who access online multimedia content and need an IP based network for accessing the multimedia content. In addition, the one or more users 102 are individual or person who accesses online multimedia content on the respective one or more media devices 104. Further, the one or more users 102 may be a computer or bots programmed to view one or more advertisements and performs click and transaction in order to do fraud. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the one or more users 102 includes but may not be limited to a natural person, legal entity, individual, machine, bot and robots for viewing the one or more advertisements. The one or more users 102 are associated with the one or more media devices 104.
[0022] Further, the interactive computing environment 100 includes the one or more media devices 104 which is used for entertainment purposes and helps to communicate information. The one or more media devices 104 includes but may not be limited to a Smartphone, a laptop, a desktop computer, a tablet and a personal digital assistant. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the one or more media devices 104 include a smart television, a workstation, an electronic wearable device and the like. In an embodiment, the one or more media devices 104 include portable communication devices and fixed communication devices. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the one or more media devices 104 are currently in the switched-on state. The one or more users 102 accesses the one or more media devices 104 in real time. The one or more media devices 104 are any type of devices having an active internet.
[0023] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the one or more media devices 104 are an internet-enabled device for allowing the one or more users 102 to access the media content. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the one or more media devices 104 allow the one or more users 102 to access the media content which is already stored. The media content is already stored in the one or more media devices 104 which is synchronized when gets connected to the internet. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the one or more users 102 may be an owner of the one or more media devices 104. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the one or more users 102 not be the owner of the one or more media devices 104. In addition, the one or more media devices 104 are used for viewing an application 106 installed on the one or more media devices 104.
[0024] The application 106 is used for viewing content on the one or more media devices 104. The application 106 includes but may not be limited to mobile application, web application, smart TV application, and website. The application 106 is the mobile application which displays content to the one or more users 102 on the one or more media devices 104. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the application 106 is any other application which displays content to the one or more users 102 on the one or more media devices 104. The content may include the publishers 120 content, one or more video content and the like. The application 106 accessed by the one or more users 102 shows content related to the interest of the one or more users 102. In an example, the one or more users 102 may be interested in watching online videos, reading blogs, play online games, accessing social networking sites and the like.
[0025] The application 106 is developed by application developer for viewing or accessing specific content. The application 106 is advertisement supporting applications which are stored on the one or more media devices 104. The application 106 is of any type which includes gaming application, a utility application, a service based application and the like. The application 106 provides space, frame, area or a part of their application pages for advertising purposes referred to as advertisement slots. The application 106 consists of various advertisement slots which depend on the choice of the publishers 120.
[0026] The publishers 120 are the owner of the application 106 which is presented to the one or more users 102 on the one or more media devices 104. The publishers 120 is one of the plurality of stakeholders 114 present in the creation and handling of the decentralized repository. The publishers 120 are those who provide media content to the one or more users 102 for viewing on the one or more media devices 104. The publishers 120 in order to generate more revenue advertise products, services or businesses to the one or more users 102. The publishers 120 displays the one or more advertisements on the one or more media devices 104 when the one more users 102 are accessing the application 106.
[0027] The one or more advertisements are a graphical or pictorial representation of the information in order to promote a product, an event, service and the like. In general, the one or more advertisements are a medium for promoting a product, service, or an event. The one or more advertisements include text advertisement, video advertisement, graphic advertisement and the like. The one or more advertisements are displayed in third-party applications developed by application developers. The one or more advertisements are presented for attracting the one or more users 102 based on the interest in order to generate revenue. The one or more advertisements are presented to the one or more users 102 based on the interest of the one or more users 102 and shown for a specific period of time. The one or more users 102 clicks on the one or more advertisement and the one or more users 102 is re-directed to a website or application or application store associated with the clicked one or more advertisements. The one or more advertisements are served based on a real-time bidding technique or a direct contract between the advertisers 116 and the publishers 120.
[0028] The one or more advertisements are provided to the publishers 120 by the advertisers 116 or advertising networks 118 who want to advertise their product, service through the publishers 120. The publishers 120 gets paid if the one or more users 102 visit website or install application of the advertisers 116 or the advertising network 118 through the one or more advertisements. The number of users who visits the one or more advertisements through the application 106 generates more revenue for the publishers 120.
[0029] The advertisers 116 are those who want to advertise their product or service and the like to the one or more users 102. The advertisers 116 approaches the publishers 106 directly and provide the one or more advertisements to be displayed for the one or more users 102 on the application 106. The advertisers 116 pay the publishers 106 based on the number of users being redirected or taking the product or services provided by the advertisers 116. The advertisers provide the advertisements to advertising networks and information associated with advertising campaigns.
[0030] The advertising networks 118 are those which provides advertising services to other people. The advertising networks 118 are entities that connect the advertisers 116 to websites and the publishers 120 that are willing to serve advertisements. The advertising networks 118 act as a mediator between the advertisers 116 and the publishers 120. The advertisers 116 who want to advertise their product or services approach the advertising networks 118 with the one or more advertisements related to the advertising campaigns. The advertising networks 118 connect to the publishers 120 for publishing the one or more advertisement one the one or more media devices 104 for the advertisers 116. The advertising networks 118 buy ad spaces for the advertisers 116 in real-time. The advertising networks 118 pay publishers 120 for showing the one or more advertisements on the application 106 of the publishers 120. The advertising networks 118 gets paid by the advertisers 116 for advertising the products and services of the advertisers 116. By using the advertising networks 118 it becomes easier for the advertisers 116 for advertising as the advertising networks 118 becomes the single point of contact for the advertisers 116. The advertising networks 118 acknowledge rules placed by the advertisers 116 on global and campaign levels to limit the addvertisment content which is sent to the publishers 120. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the advertising networks 118 monitors the fraud being performed by the publishers 120 and add the detail for addition to the blaklist. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the advertising networks 118 monitors the fraud being performed by the publishers 120 and send the detail for addition to blacklist. The advertising networks 118 is one of the plurality of stakeholders 114 involved in creation and accessing of the decentralized repository. The advertising networks 118 enable display of the one or more advertisements in real-time on the application 106 on behalf of the advertisers 116.
[0031] The plurality of stakeholders 114 is the persons involved in the advertisement industry. The plurality of stakeholders 114 is related to the distribution, creation and display of the one or more advertisements on the one or more media devices 104. The plurality of stakeholders 114 includes the advertisers 116, the advertsing networks 118, the publishers 120 and third party data providers 122 and the like. The plurality of stakeholders 114 is involved in the display of the one or more advertisement on the one or more media devices 104 on the application 106. The plurality of stakeholders 114 is associated with the decentralized shared ledger 110.
[0032] The third party data providers 122 are those platform which provides data related to the one or more users 102 or the publishers 120. The third party data providers 122 are at least one of the plurality of stakeholders 114 which uses the decentralized shared ledger 110 to identify fraud. Further, the third party data providers 122 grant access to third party databases to provide past data of the one or more users 102 or the publishers 120. The third party data providers 122 also provide the list of fraud device IPs, device Id’s, device type and the publishers 120. In an embodiment of the present disclorure, the third party data providers 122 list of the one or more users 102 or the publishers 120 which are performing fraud for addition to the blacklist. In an embodiment of the present disclorure, the third party data providers 122 are allowed to directly add the one or more uses 102 in the blacklist and the whitelist. In an embodiment of the present disclorure, the third party data providers 122 are those which can participate in the reward for providing information of fraud by the one or more users 102 or the publishers 120.
[0033] The decentralized shared ledger 110 is a ledger containing a plurality of lists. The plurality of lists includes data associated with the publishers 120 and the one or more users 102. The decentralized shared ledger 110 includes multiple ledgers connected to each other. Each ledger contains multiple blocks having information associated with the publishers 120 and the one or more users 102 which is associated with the fraudulent and non-fraudulent behavior. The decentralized shared ledger 110 is based on the blockchain technology. In general, the blockchain technology is used to create blocks of information associated with the fraudulent and the non-fraudulent data related to the publishers 120 and the one or more users 102. Each block contain a set of information associated with the publishers 120 and the one or more users 102. Each block is connected to or linked to a previous block using a hash address. The blockchain system is operated on a number of computer nodes that make up the ledger. Here, the computer nodes correspond to computer systems associated with the plurality of stakeholders 114 who share the decentralized shared ledger 110.
[0034] The decentralized shared ledgers 110 includes a record of the blacklist and whitelist. The publishers 120 and the one or more users 102 are entered into the blacklist or the whitelist based on device IPs, device Id’s, device type and the publishers 120. The blacklist is the list of the publishers 120 and the one or more users 102 who are using fraud means on the one or more advertisements to generate fake click, fake install, and fake transaction. The whitelist is the list of the publishers 120 and the one or more users 102 who are genuinely showing the one or more advertisements on the one or more media devices 104. The decentralized shared ledger 110 is a private ledger which allows access only to registered people. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the decentralized shared ledger 110 is a public ledger which allow anyone to join and access the dencentralized shared ledger 110. The decentralized shared ledger 110 includes the central repository 112.
[0035] The central repository 112 is a central place in the decentralized shared ledger 110 where data is stored and maintained. In general, the central repository 112 is a place where multiple databases or files are located for distribution over a network. In addition, the central repository 112 is a location that is directly accessible to the plurality of stakeholders 114 without having to travel across a network. The central repository 112 includes the location information of each block in the blockchain system for the easy access by the plurality of stakeholders 114.
[0036] Further, the interactive computing environment 100 includes the block chain network 108 which is associated with the applications 106 in real-time. The block chain network 108 is a platform which performs tasks such as creating the ledger, authorizing the plurality of stakeholders 114 for accessing the decentralized shared leger and the like. The block chain network 108 blocks the publishers 120 or the one or more users 102 showing fraudulent behavior or whose device IPs, device Id’s, device type is mentioned in the blacklist.
[0037] The block chain network 108 connected to the application 106 receives interactions associated with the one or more advertisements which are displayed on the one or more media devices 104. The interactions are received when the one or more advertisements associated with the plurality of stakeholders 114 is displayed in real-time on the one or more media devices 104.
[0038] The block chain network 108 performs addition of a ledger in the decentralized shared ledger 110 for each of the interactions on an application. The each of the interaction is associated with the one or more advertisements displayed on the one or more media devices 104. The addition into the decentralized shared ledger 110 is done based on smart contract 206 which is shown in FIG. 2. The smart contract 206 is a self-executing contract with terms of the agreement to add a block or the ledger in the blockchain of the decentralized shared ledger 110. The addition of the ledger in the decentralized shared ledger 110 of the blockchain is done if the smart contract 206 is passed otherwise the ledger is not added in the decentralized shared ledger 110.
[0039] The interactions includes application size, time to download, time to run, redirection time, click to install, click to run and the like. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the interactions include user click time, device load time, time to run, time to install, network download time and the like. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the interactions include but may not be limited to application usage time, application idle time and application opening time. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the interactions include but may not be limited to number of click, past revenue of publisher, number of transaction and time stamp. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the interactions include location of click, interaction data, number of installs and the like.
[0040] In addition, the block chain network 108 receives a request from at least one of the plurality of stakeholders 114 to access the decentralized shared ledger 110. The block chain network 108 performs authorization of at least one of the plurality of stakeholders 114 to access the decentralized shared ledger 110. The authorization of the at least one of the plurality of stakeholders 114 is done based on the unique root key which is specific to each of the plurality of stakeholders.
[0041] Further, the block chain network 108 receive past data from the plurality of stakeholders 114. The past data includes the interaction data which was collected from the advertisers 116, the advertising networks 118, the publishers 120 and the third party data providers 122. The past data includes data related to the previous interaction of the one or more users 102 or the publishers 120 on the application 106 of the plurality of stakeholders 114.
[0042] Furthermore, the block chain network 108 analyze the interaction and the past data to identify the fraud behavior. The analysis is done by using the past data received from the plurality of stakeholders 114. The analysis is done in real-time. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the analysis is done using one or more machine learning algorithm. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the analysis is done based on training data which is created using machine learning to identify usual behavior of the click and transaction for the one or more advertisements.
[0043] Moreover, the block chain network 108 creates the central repository 112 for the decentralized shared ledger 110. The central repository 112 includes the blacklist and whitelist. The blacklist and the whitelist ledgers are created based on the data collected from the plurality of stakeholders 114 related to fraud. The ledgers for the blacklist and the whitelist is maintained in the central repository 112 so that the plurality of stakeholders 114 can easily access the collected data.
[0044] Also, the block chain network 108 performs scoring of the publishers 120 or the one or more users 102 based on the analysis. The scoring is done to mark the behavior of the publishers 120 or the one or more users 102. The marking of the publishers 120 or the one or more users 102 is done to identify the unusual behavior based on the analysis. The scoring is done to compare the scoring of the publishers 120 with a pre-defined threshold in order to mark the publishers 120 in the blacklist or the whitelist. The pre-defined threshold is provided by the plurality of stakeholders 114 which defines the threshold for the usual behavior of the publishers 120 or the one or more users 102.
[0045] The scoring is compared with the pre-defined threshold to identify the behavior of the publishers 120 and the one or more users 102. If the score for the publishers 120 or the one or more users 102 is higher than the pre-defined threshold than the publishers 120 or the one or more users 102 are marked in the blacklist. If the score for the publishers 120 or the one or more users 102 is less than the pre-defined threshold than the publishers 120 or the one or more users 102 are marked in the whitelist of the decentralized shared ledger 110.
[0046] Also, the block chain network 108 blocks IPs, device Id’s, device type of the one or more users 102 or the publishers 120 mentioned in the blacklist of the decentralized shared ledger 110. The blocking is done to block the publishers 120 from showing the one or more advertisements on the one or more media devices 104.
[0047] Also, the block chain network 108 associated with the decentralized shared ledger 110 receives a request from the plurality of stakeholders 110. The request is send by the plurality of stakeholders 114 to add one of the device IPs, the device Id’s, the device type or the publishers 120 to the blacklist who is performing fraud. Further, the block chain network 108 verify the data received with the request to add the one of the device IPs, the device Id’s, the device type or the publishers 120 to the blacklist. The verification is done to identify if the fraud is committed by the publishers 120, the device IPs, the device Id’s and the device type mentioned by the plurality of stakeholders 114. The verification is done by analyzing the data received from the plurality of stakeholders, the past data and the interaction.
[0048] Also, the block chain network 108 associated with the decentralized shared ledger 110 adds the publishers 120, the device IPs, the device Id’s or the device type to the decentralized shared ledger 110. The publishers 120, the device IPs, the device Id’s or the device type if found fraud is added to the decentralized shared ledger 110. The addition to the decentralized shared ledger 110 is done after verification that the publishers 120, the device IPs, the device Id’s or the device type is fraud. The addition is done by adding a record or ledger in the blacklist of the blockchain of the decentralized shared ledger 110. The addition is done in real time. Each of the plurality of stakeholders 114 may access the block or ledger through computer node by using the unique root key provided to each of the plurality of stakeholders 114. The unique root key allows each of the plurality of stakeholders 114 to access only that part of the decentralized shared ledger 110 which he is allowed to access.
[0049] Also, the block chain network 108 associated with the decentralized shared ledger 110 rewards one of the plurality of stakeholder 114 who provide data related to fraud. The reward is provided after verification that the fraud is being committed 110 by the publishers 120, the device IPs, the device Id’s or the device type. The reward is updated timely as the data becomes old reward is reduced. The reward is provided to one of the plurality of stakeholders 114 who send the request to add data in the blacklist of the block chain network 108. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the reward is provided for a particular time period after which no reward is provided to the one of the plurality of stakelholders 114 for the data. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the reward is provided to one of the plurality of stakeholders 114 scales down as the data becomes old and new data is added to the block chain network 108. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the reward is calculated based on the smart contract using saving which occur after adding the publishers 120, the device IPs, the device Id’s or the device type to the blacklist.
[0050] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the block chain network 108 associated with the decentralized shared ledger 110 allows the publishers 120 to make a request for removal from the blacklist. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the publishers 120 is removed from the blacklist after receiving a acceptance of smart contract to restrain from performing fraud. In another embodiment of the present dislcoure, the publishers 120 is removed from the blacklist after receiving a security deposit or penality for performing fraud.
[0051] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the publishers 120 is removed from the blacklist after receiving a confirmation of sharing access to third part autdit tools, internal code review and the like. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the publishers 120 is removed from the blacklist after receiving a confirmation of transparency of ad, permission to view internal code, and the like.
[0052] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the block chain network 108 associated with the decentralized shared ledger 110 allow the advertisers 116 to select the publishers 120 from the whitelist. The selection of the publishers 120 is done for the one or more advertisements campaigns. The selection of the publishers 120 is done to reduce the occurrence of fraud in the one or more advertisements campaigns.
[0053] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the decentralized shared ledger 110 transmits information associated with the publishers 120 or the one or more users 102 to third party in real time. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the decentralized shared ledger 110 updates the interactions, the past data, the pre-defined threshold and the score in real-time. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the decentralized shared ledger 110 stores the interactions, the past data, the pre-defined threshold and the score in real-time.
[0054] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the decentralized shared ledger 110 updates data in the central repository 112 in real time for accessing by the plurality of stakeholders 114. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the decentralized shared ledger 110 creates multiple blockchains of blacklisted and whitelisted publishers 120 or the one or more users 102 in real-time.
[0055] FIG. 2 illustrated a block diagram 200 of the decentralized shared ledger 110 for creating the decentralized repository 112, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure. The reference will now be made to the embodiments shown in FIG. 1 to explain various embodiments of FIG. 2. The block diagram 200 shows the blockchain for the plurality of stakeholders 114. The block diagram 200 includes the advertisers 116, the advertising networks 118, the publishers 120 and the third party data providers 122. In addition, the block diagram 202 includes the decentralized shared ledger 110, the smart contract 206 and the regulator 202.
[0056] The blockchain is continuously fed data for forming the decentralized shared ledger 110. Each of the plurality of stakeholders 114 has access to the decentralized shared ledger 110 stored with them for real-time access. The blockchain allows the advertisers 116, the publishers 120, the third party fraud providers 122 and the advertising networks 118 to share the block or the ledger of the blockchain. The block or the ledger which is shared includes the blacklist and the whitelist of the device IPs, device Id’s, device type and the publishers 120. In addition, the blockchain forms multiple types of ledgers. The multiple types of ledgers are formed based on data from the plurality of stakeholders 114 and other entities.
[0057] The regulator 202 is a blockchain network operator. The regulator 202 regulates the access to the blockchain for the advertisers 116, the publishers 120, the advertising networks 118 and the third party data providers 122. The regulator 202 is a party that creates the ledgers for the blockchain. The regulator 202 allow access to the block chain based on the smart contract 206 between the plurality of stakeholders 114 and the blockchain network operator. The regulator 202 allow access to the block chain based on the smart contract 206 which can be updated by the regulator 202. The sharing of the ledger for the advertisers 116, the publishers 120, the advertising networks 118 and the third party data providers 122 is controlled by the regulator 202. The addition of the block or the ledger in the blockchain is controlled by the regulator 202 which execute the smart contract for check the access right for the making changes to the blockchain. The blockchain allow the advertisers 116, the publishers 120, the advertising networks 118 and the third party data providers 122 to access the blockchain through a computer node. The computer node is used by the advertisers 116, the publishers 120, the advertising networks 118 and the third party data providers 122 for accessing the distributed shared ledger 110. The blockchain network operator or the regulator 202 is an individual who has special permissions to create, manage and monitor the blockchain ledger.
[0058] Each ledger of the multiple types of ledgers is updated simultaneously across all participating parties (nodes). In an embodiment of the present disclosure, each stakeholder from the plurality of stakeholders 114 can initiate submission of an asset or the ledger and share the updated ledger with each of the plurality of stakeholders 114. The authentication is based on an asymmetrical private system. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the authentication is based on an asymmetrical public system. The unique root key is generated from well-known and trusted certificate authorities. Each of the plurality of stakeholders 114 is required to create an identity in the blockchain.
[0059] Further, each ledger contains a set of information which is shared with the plurality of stakeholders 114 who are authorized for the access the blockchain of the decentralized shared ledger 110. Each ledger contains multiple blocks forming a blockchain. Each ledger is the blockchain of the blacklist and the whitelist device IPs, Device Types, the publishers 120 and the one or more users 102. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the decentralized shared ledger 110 include different ledger for each type of ledgers. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the ledger may be a single ledger containing information for each type of ledgers.
[0060] The set of information in each type of ledgers includes ID of item, submitter, the blacklist flag/whitelist flag/acknowledged, filter for blacklist/whitelist, a timestamp and a previous blockchain item. In addition, the filter for the blacklist or the whitelist may include one or more of the following items. The items include device types, device IDs, IP addresses and the publishers 120.
Id Submitter Flag Filter Timestamp Previous Id
1 Entity A Blacklist Pub A 1 Feb 2017 2:54:12 -
2 Entity B Blacklist Pub B, IP:123.123.123.123 1 Feb 2017 2:55:24 1
3 Entity A Acknowledge - 1 Feb 2017 2:56:45 2
[0061] The above-shown table shows a cut-down example of the ledger. The table includes a first entry which shows that entity A has blacklisted publisher A along with the timestamp and the previous ID. The table includes a second entry which shows that entity B has blacklisted all users going to publisher B from the IP address 123.123.123.123. The table includes a third entity which shows that the entity A has acknowledged the second entry made by Entity B. The acknowledgement done by Entity A enforces the fact that Entity A has seen the previous entries and ensures transparency. The acknowledgement is used to determine and limit stakeholders who may not be following the rules. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the ledger may contain reason codes, links to the smart contract 206, and descriptions.
[0062] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of stakeholders 114 can generate specific lists. In an example, the advertisers 116 create a special ledger. The special ledger with the list can be either open or tied to specific entities (stakeholders). The authorization to the special ledger is controlled by the regulator 202. The regulator 202 is configured to perform a plurality of actions. The plurality of actions includes regulating access to the lists to each of the plurality of stakeholders 114 within the blockchain and ensuring that only authorized lists are shown to the plurality of stakeholders 114. In addition, the regulator 202 may perform mining algorithms and/or manage settings and configurations. The regulator 202 limits a length of timeframe until items in the blockchain are accepted for the complexity of miners. The regulator 202 stores the configuration and scoring mechanisms that are associated with the lists from the owner of the ledger.
[0063] FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of a device 300, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure. The device 300 hosts the blockchain network 108. The device 300 is a non-transitory computer readable storage medium. The device 300 includes a bus 302 that directly or indirectly couples the following devices: memory 304, one or more processors 306, one or more presentation components 308, one or more input/output (I/O) ports 310, one or more input/output components 312, and an illustrative power supply 314. The bus 302 represents what may be one or more busses (such as an address bus, data bus, or combination thereof). Although the various blocks of FIG. 3 are shown with lines for the sake of clarity, in reality, delineating various components is not so clear, and metaphorically, the lines would more accurately be grey and fuzzy. For example, one may consider a presentation component such as a display device to be an I/O component. Also, processors have memory. The inventors recognize that such is the nature of the art, and reiterate that the diagram of FIG. 3 is merely illustrative of an exemplary device 300 that can be used in connection with one or more embodiments of the present invention. Distinction is not made between such categories as “workstation,” “server,” “laptop,” “hand-held device,” etc., as all are contemplated within the scope of FIG. 3 and reference to “computing device.”
[0064] The device 300 typically includes a variety of computer-readable media. The computer-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by the device 300 and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. By way of example, and not limitation, the computer-readable media may comprise computer storage media and communication media. The computer storage media includes volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. The computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by the device 300. The communication media typically embodies computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.
[0065] Memory 304 includes computer-storage media in the form of volatile and/or nonvolatile memory. The memory 304 may be removable, non-removable, or a combination thereof. Exemplary hardware devices include solid-state memory, hard drives, optical-disc drives, etc. The device 300 includes the one or more processors 306 that read data from various entities such as memory 304 or I/O components 312. The one or more presentation components 308 present data indications to a user or other device. Exemplary presentation components include a display device, speaker, printing component, vibrating component, etc. The one or more I/O ports 310 allow the device 300 to be logically coupled to other devices including the one or more I/O components 312, some of which may be built in. Illustrative components include a microphone, joystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner, printer, wireless device, etc.
,CLAIMS:What is claimed is:
1. A computer system comprising:
one or more processors (306); and
a memory (304) coupled to the one or more processors (306), the memory for storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors (306), cause the one or more processors (306) to perform a method for creating decentralized repository of fraud IP and publishers (120) using block chain, the method comprising:
adding, at a block chain network (108), a ledger in decentralized shared ledger (110) for each interactions on an application (106) in real time, wherein each of the interactions is associated with one or more advertisements displayed on the one or more media devices (104), wherein the addition is done based on a smart contract (206);
authorizing, at the block chain network (108), at least one of a plurality of stakeholders (114) to access the decentralized shared ledger (110), wherein the authorization is done after receiving a request from at least one of the plurality of stakeholders (114), wherein the authorization is done based on unique root key;
analyzing, at the block chain network (108), the interaction and past data received from a plurality of stake holders (114), wherein the analysis is done to identify the fraud behavior, wherein the analysis is done in real time; and
blocking, at the block chain network (108), device IPs, device Id’s, device type and the publishers (120) mentioned in blacklist of the decentralized shared ledger (110), wherein the blacklist is created based on scoring of the publishers (120) in real time.
2. The computer system as recited in claim 1, the interactions comprises application size, time to download, time to run, redirection time, click to install, click to run, user click time, device load time, time to install, network download time, application usage time, application idle time, application opening time, number of click, past revenue of publisher, number of transaction, time stamp, location of click, interaction data and number of install.
3. The computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of stakeholders (114) comprises a advertisers (116), a advertising networks (118), the publishers (120) and a third party data providers (122).
4. The computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the decentralized shared ledgers (110) comprises a unique root key specific to at least one of the plurality of stakeholders (114), wherein the unique root key is used for authorization of each of the plurality of stakeholders (114).
5. The computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the decentralized shared ledger (110) comprises private ledger.
6. The computer system as recited in claim 1, further, comprising
creating, at the block chain network (108), a central repository (112) for the decentralized shared ledger (110), wherein the central repository (112) comprises the blacklist and whitelist, wherein the blacklist and the whitelist ledgers are created based on the data collected from the plurality of stakeholders (114) related to fraud.
7. The computer system as recited in claim 1, further, comprising
scoring, at the block chain network (108), the publishers (120) based on the analysis, wherein the scoring is done to specify whether the publishers (120) is using fraud means, wherein the scoring is compared with the pre-defined threshold in order to mark the publishers (120) in the whitelist and the blacklist.
8. The computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the blacklist and the whitelist comprises device IPs, device Id’s, device type and the publishers (120).
9. The computer system as recited in claim 1, further, comprising
verifying, at the block chain network (108), data received from the plurality of stakeholders (114) with the past data and the interaction, wherein the verification is done after receiving a request from the plurality of stakeholders (114) to add the one or more users 102 of the device IPs, the device Id’s, the device type or the publishers (120) in the blacklist and
adding, at the block chain network (108), a ledger in the decentralized shared ledger (110), wherein addition to the decentralized shared ledger (110) is done based on the smart contracts (206) after verifying that the device IPs, the device Id’s, the device type or the publishers (120) is fraud, wherein the addition is done in real time.
10. The computer system as recited in claim 1, further, comprising
rewarding, at the block chain network (108), one of the plurality of stakeholder (114) who provide data related to fraud which has been verified and added to the blacklist of the decentralized shared ledger (110), wherein the reward is updated timely in real time.