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@article{207414,
        author = {Rutuja Huddar and Dr. Mahesh Nagaral},
        title = {BLOCK CHAIN BASED APPROACH FOR SECURING DIGITAL FORENSIC EVIDENCE},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {13},
        number = {3},
        pages = {988-993},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=207414},
        abstract = {Digital evidence serves as a pivotal element in modern cybercrime investigations, corporate audits, and judicial proceedings. However, owing to the volatile and easily alterable nature of digital files, maintaining evidence integrity, authenticity, and an indisputable chain of custody poses a major technical challenge. Traditional centralized database architectures remain highly vulnerable to insider attacks, unauthorized file modification, and single points of failure. In this paper, we present a robust, enterprise-grade framework designed using ASP.NET (C#), MS SQL Server, and cryptographic SHA-256 hashing coupled with a custom blockchain ledger mechanism to preserve and verify digital forensic evidence. The system computes a 256-bit cryptographic digest for every uploaded file and links each new record sequentially to the previous block hash, generating an immutable transaction chain. Upon subsequent access or re-upload, the application calculates the live hash and cross-references it with the recorded database hash to detect even a single-bit alteration instantly. Experimental evaluations across 100 test evidence files demonstrated 100% classification accuracy, 100% recall, and zero false negatives, confirming that no tampered file goes undetected. The proposed system effectively decentralizes trust, safeguards against evidence spoofing, and establishes an auditable chain of custody tailored for legal forensics.},
        keywords = {Digital Forensics, Blockchain Technology, Cryptographic Hashing, SHA-256, Chain of Custody, ASP.NET, Evidence Integrity, Tamper Detection.},
        month = {August},
        }