Verifying authenticity of computer readable information using the blockchain

A computer system, comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory device coupled to the processor;
• and
• a computer readable storage device coupled to the processor, wherein the storage device contains program code executable by the processor via the memory device to implement a method comprising:
• generating, by a processor of a computing system, a public key associated with a computer readable information, wherein the computer readable information is created by a trusted source;
• hashing, by the processor, the computer readable information to obtain a hashed computer readable information;
• encrypting, by the processor, the hashed computer readable information with a private key to create a digital signature, wherein the hashed computer readable information and the digital signature are stored on a block of a blockchain;
• authenticating, by the processor, a user computing device in response to a request from the user computing device to download the computer readable information;
• transmitting, by the processor, the public key and the digital signature to an authenticated user computing device;
• instructing, by the processor, the authenticated user computing device to decrypt the digital signature using the public key to obtain the hashed computer readable information, and download the hashed computer readable information to the authenticated user computing system to retrieve the computer readable information;
• and
• creating, by the processor, a decentralized update system including at least the authenticated user computing device that acts a node of the decentralized update system to increase a source for downloading the computer readable information, wherein other user computers download the computer readable information from the authenticated user computing device verified by the blockchain;
• wherein an integrity of the computer readable information is preserved by the blockchain, such that the computer readable information downloaded by the user computing device remains unchanged from the computer readable information offered by the trusted source.

A computer program product, comprising a computer readable hardware storage device storing a computer readable program code, the computer readable program code comprising an algorithm that when executed by a computer processor of a computing system implements a method comprising:

• generating, by a processor of a computing system, a public key associated with a computer readable information, wherein the computer readable information is created by a trusted source;
• hashing, by the processor, the computer readable information to obtain a hashed computer readable information;
• encrypting, by the processor, the hashed computer readable information with a private key to create a digital signature, wherein the hashed computer readable information and the digital signature are stored on a block of a blockchain;
• authenticating, by the processor, a user computing device in response to a request from the user computing device to download the computer readable information;
• transmitting, by the processor, the public key and the digital signature to an authenticated user computing device;
• and
• instructing, by the processor, the authenticated user computing device to decrypt the digital signature using the public key to obtain the hashed computer readable information, and download the hashed computer readable information to the authenticated user computing system to retrieve the computer readable information;
• and
• creating, by the processor, a decentralized update system including at least the authenticated user computing device that acts a node of the decentralized update system to increase a source for downloading the computer readable information, wherein other user computers download the computer readable information from the authenticated user computing device verified by the blockchain;
• wherein an integrity of the computer readable information is preserved by the blockchain, such that the computer readable information downloaded by the user computing device remains unchanged from the computer readable information offered by the trusted source.