Decentralized Model to Protect Digital Evidence via Smart Contracts Using Layer 2 Polygon Blockchain

Abstract

Modern legal proceedings heavily rely on digital evidence as a basis for decisions in a variety of contexts, including criminal investigations and civil lawsuits. However, factors like data alteration, unauthorised access, or flaws in centralised storage can threaten the security and integrity of digital evidence. We suggest a decentralised methodology for using smart contracts to safeguard digital evidence in order to overcome these issues. The decentralised model makes use of smart contracts and blockchain technology to guarantee the integrity, transparency, and immutability of digital evidence. The approach does not require a centralised authority because it makes use of a distributed ledger, which lowers the possibility of data loss or manipulation. Multiple parties participating in the evidence lifecycle can build confidence and accountability thanks to smart contracts’ programmable rules and automated enforcement mechanisms. In our study, we show the decentralised model’s architecture and describe its essential elements, such as the blockchain network, smart contracts, and decentralised storage. We go over the advantages of employing this architecture, including enhanced auditability, decreased dependency on centralised institutions, and increased data security. Additionally, we discuss potential difficulties and constraints, like scalability and interoperability. We run a few simulations and experiments to test the suggested model’s viability and effectiveness while comparing it to conventional centralised methods. The outcomes show that our decentralised paradigm offers improved security for digital evidence, guaranteeing its reliability, usability, and tamper-proofness. We also go through how the model is used in actual legal systems, law enforcement organisations, and digital forensics investigations.

Keywords

• Blockchain technology
• digital forensic
• distributed ledger technology
• IPFS