Reputation systems represent soft security mechanisms that complement traditional information security mechanisms. They are
now widely used in online e-commerce markets and communities in order to stimulate good behaviors as well as to restrain adverse
behaviors. This paper analyzes the limitations of the conversational reputation models and proposes an incentive reputation
model called the resilient reputation model (RRM) for the distributed reputation systems. The objective of this reputation
model is not only to encourage the users to provide good services and, therefore, to maximize the probability of good transaction
outcomes, but also to punish those adverse users who are trying to manipulate the application systems. The simulation results
indicate that the proposed reputation model (RRM) could effectively resist against the common adverse behaviors, while protecting
the profits of sincere users from being blemished by those adversaries.
Keywords reputation model - distributed system - trust - soft security
Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (Grant No. 2003CB314800), the National Natural Science
Foundation of China (Grant No. 60203044) and the 242 Program (Grant No. (242)2007A07)