A logic for auditing accountability in decentralized systems

Abstract

We propose a language that allows agents to distribute data with usage policies in a decentralized architecture. In our framework, the compliance with usage policies is not enforced. However, agents may be audited by an authority at an arbitrary moment in time. We design a logic that allows audited agents to prove their actions, and to prove their authorization to posses particular data. Accountability is defined in several flavors, including agent accountability and data accountability. Finally, we show the soundness of the logic. © 2005 by International Federation for Information Processing.