Publication result detail

ForensicChain: Blockchain-based Secure Digital Forensic Investigations

DZURENDA, P.; TRAN, M.; RICCI, S.; MALINA, L.; IQBAL, M.; STUPKA, V.; MATULEVICIUS, R.

Original Title

ForensicChain: Blockchain-based Secure Digital Forensic Investigations

English Title

ForensicChain: Blockchain-based Secure Digital Forensic Investigations

Type

Paper in proceedings (conference paper)

Original Abstract

The digitalization of public and governmental services has enhanced the efficiency, transparency, and collaboration in forensic investigations. However, digital forensics faces critical challenges related to maintaining the integrity, authenticity, and trustworthiness of forensic evidence. This paper addresses how to preserve the integrity of forensic evidence throughout its lifecycle and the balance of trust among stakeholders. We propose a blockchain-based digital forensic system, ForensicChain, that securely records, updates, and verifies case-related data while adhering to legal and technological aspects. Our method leverages Merkle trees to generate cryptographic fingerprints of case files, allowing efficient tamper detection. The system ensures that authorized actions are recorded, maintaining a fully auditable record of modifications. We demonstrate the practicality of our proposed solution through a proof of concept implementation using the Cardano blockchain.

English abstract

The digitalization of public and governmental services has enhanced the efficiency, transparency, and collaboration in forensic investigations. However, digital forensics faces critical challenges related to maintaining the integrity, authenticity, and trustworthiness of forensic evidence. This paper addresses how to preserve the integrity of forensic evidence throughout its lifecycle and the balance of trust among stakeholders. We propose a blockchain-based digital forensic system, ForensicChain, that securely records, updates, and verifies case-related data while adhering to legal and technological aspects. Our method leverages Merkle trees to generate cryptographic fingerprints of case files, allowing efficient tamper detection. The system ensures that authorized actions are recorded, maintaining a fully auditable record of modifications. We demonstrate the practicality of our proposed solution through a proof of concept implementation using the Cardano blockchain.

Keywords

Blockchain; Digital Forensic; Security; Access Control; Smart Contract; Investigation Processes Integrity; Trustworthiness.

Key words in English

Blockchain; Digital Forensic; Security; Access Control; Smart Contract; Investigation Processes Integrity; Trustworthiness.

Authors

DZURENDA, P.; TRAN, M.; RICCI, S.; MALINA, L.; IQBAL, M.; STUPKA, V.; MATULEVICIUS, R.

RIV year

2026

Released

25.11.2025

Publisher

Springer

Book

Foundations and Practice of Security - 18th International Symposium, FPS 2025

Periodical

Lecture Notes in Computer Science

Volume

1

Number

11

State

Federal Republic of Germany

Pages from

28

Pages to

43

Pages count

16

URL

https://hub.imt-atlantique.fr/fps2025/pre-proceedings

BibTex

@inproceedings{BUT199878,
  author="Petr {Dzurenda} and Minh {Tran} and Sara {Ricci} and Lukáš {Malina} and Mubashar {Iqbal} and Václav {Stupka} and Raimundas {Matulevicius}",
  title="ForensicChain: Blockchain-based Secure Digital Forensic Investigations",
  booktitle="Foundations and Practice of Security - 18th International Symposium, FPS 2025",
  year="2025",
  journal="Lecture Notes in Computer Science",
  volume="1",
  number="11",
  pages="28--43",
  publisher="Springer",
  issn="0302-9743",
  url="https://hub.imt-atlantique.fr/fps2025/pre-proceedings"
}