Authenticated service discovery using a secure ledger

A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing program instructions that cause a computer to execute a process comprising:

• authenticating one or more network service devices each having identifying information and one or more offered services;
• creating an entry into a secure digital ledger for each authenticated network service device and associated offered services, each entry based on the identifying information and the one or more offered services for a corresponding network service device;
• receiving an advertisement for an advertised service from an advertising device attached to a given trusted participant device;
• requesting an authentic ledger entry from the secure digital ledger for the advertised service;
• receiving the authentic ledger entry for the advertised service;
• in response to validating authenticity of the advertised service based on the authentic ledger entry, permitting registration at the given trusted participant device of the advertised service for the received advertisement from the advertising device;
• and
• in response to failing to validate authenticity of the advertised service based on the authentic ledger entry, denying registration at the given trusted participant device of the advertised service for the received advertisement from the advertising device.

An apparatus, comprising:

• one or more network interfaces to communicate with a computer network;
• a processor coupled to the network interfaces and configured to execute one or more process;
• and
• a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed configured to:
• authenticate one or more network service devices each having identifying information and one or more offered services;
• create an entry into a secure digital ledger for each authenticated network service device and associated offered services, each entry based on the identifying information and the one or more offered services for a corresponding network service device;
• receive an advertisement for an advertised service from an advertising device attached to a given trusted participant device;
• request an authentic ledger entry from the secure digital ledger for the advertised service;
• receive the authentic ledger entry for the advertised service;
• in response to validating authenticity of the advertised service based on the authentic ledger entry, permit registration at the given trusted participant device of the advertised service for the received advertisement from the advertising device;
• and
• in response to failing to validate authenticity of the advertised service based on the authentic ledger entry, deny registration at the given trusted participant device of the advertised service for the received advertisement from the advertising device.