An optimal trust management method to protect privacy and strengthen objectivity in utility computing services

Utility computing services constitute business opportunities in the customer-to-customer (C2C) marketplace. Providers deal with the risks and uncertainties faced by users while transacting with unfamiliar counterparts. Ensuring trustworthy transactions among unfamiliar users is an important condition of utility-computing service. Many peer-to-peer (P2P) sites utilize reputation systems; however, such systems are subject to lack of reviewer objectivity and robustness against attacks as well as unfair ratings. In this study, we propose the manual adjustment of reputation ratings by means of transaction monitoring and establish that the resulting enhanced objectivity and robustness in utility-computing service transactions will strengthen the trust management system. We also propose the optimal level of monitoring and penalizing activities based on the level of privacy concerns among users and the appropriate complementary service.