A Reputation-Based Approach for Countering Vulnerabilities in P2P Networks

As a means of resources sharing, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks are currently receiving much attention. However, the open and anonymous nature of P2P networks also paves the way for malicious users to abuse the systems such as disseminating of inauthentic files or even viruses. To counter such menacing vulnerabilities in P2P networks, this paper presents a reputation-based approach that combines personal experiences and recommendations. On the basis of the discussion on vulnerabilities, three P2P networks, configuration of P2P reputation systems, the paper takes a critical look at some solutions with the trust model for the threats. The methods to update the trust values in the three unstructured P2P architectures are also discussed.