launcht The benefits of blockchain technology is not just restricted to cryptocurrencies, and people around the world have been exploring the various possibilities with this famed technology. One of the most impactful methods could be the way in which governments themselves are using it to ensure that the data of citizens and political figures are protected, from both other nation states and themselves.
Estonia has surprisingly implemented this technology to safeguard its databases. This digital transformation was facilitated by X-Road, the core component of the Estonian government’s digital data. The X-Road is a system of connected government databases. It facilitates the confirmation of data points, without moving the data itself around. As Plantera describes it, “It’s basically a government office that keeps all the data there and is available 24/7. The blockchain’s role in this digital ecosystem comes down to security and data integrity.
Since we started using the blockchain, we always know when there is a cyber attack and where it’s happening, because we can detect it straight away
Estonia implemented this system in response to cyber attacks in 2007 which stalled the computer systems of major banks and some media outlets, and even made the country’s ATM services unavailable for some time. In the case of government data, that makes it harder for other nations to hack it or rewrite the data’s history. The country’s officials stated that it’d be difficult for anyone to interfere with its digital voting infrastructure, or health records, without giving themselves away. Adding a blockchain layer to a government’s digital ecosystem even prevents the government from altering the historical record. It can’t change one database entry and cover up the logs – it’d have to change every single entry (which is also near to impossible).
