Method and apparatus for logging based identification

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions thereon which, when executed by a system, cause the system to perform a method comprising:

• receiving, by a receiving system, a challenge that includes a set of hash values from a sending system, wherein the set includes actual hash values that correspond to log entries from a hash chained log, stored on the receiving system, that represents a plurality of transactions randomly intermixed with false hash values that do not correspond to log entries from the hash chained log, wherein the actual hash values that correspond to log entries from the hash chained log include less than all hash values in the hash chained log and at least two randomly selected hash values in the hash chained log;
• extracting log entries from the hash chained log and determining, by using the extracted log entries, which hash values from the set of hash values correspond to the false hash values;
• in response to determining which hash values from the set of hash values correspond to the false hash values, removing the false hash values from the set of hash values;
• in response to removing the false hash values from the set of hash values, ordering the set of hash values into an ordered list based on an order of the log entries in the hash chained log;
• concatenating the hash values in the ordered list;
• producing a cryptographic hash value of the concatenated hash values from the ordered list;
• and
• sending the produced cryptographic hash value to the sending system as an answer to the challenge.

A system, comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a processor coupled with the memory to:
• receive a challenge that includes a set of hash values from a sending system, wherein the set includes actual hash values that correspond to log entries from a hash chained log, stored on the system, that represents a plurality of transactions randomly intermixed with false hash values that do not correspond to log entries from the hash chained log, wherein the actual hash values that correspond to log entries from the hash chained log include less than all hash values in the hash chained log and at least two randomly selected hash values in the hash chained log,
• extract log entries from the hash chained log and determine, by using the extracted log entries, which hash values from the set of hash values correspond to the false hash values,
• in response to determining which hash values from the set of hash values correspond to the false hash values, remove the false hash values from the set of hash values,
• in response to removing the false hash values from the set of hash values, order the set of hash values into an ordered list based on an order of the log entries in the hash chained log,
• concatenate the hash values in the ordered list,
• produce a cryptographic hash value of the concatenated hash values from the ordered list, and
• send the produced cryptographic hash to the sending system as an answer to the challenge.