A Conceptual Model for Sensor-Driven, Blockchain-Secured Evidence Containers in Forensic Investigations

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-610-4_6How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Blockchain forensics; Chain of custody; Tamper detection; IoT-enabled evidence management; Forensic integrity; Smart evidence containers; Sensor Fusion

Abstract

Maintaining the integrity of forensic evidence is important in criminal investigations and judicial proceedings. The traditional methods used for detection of tampering, like the seals and security bags, are vulnerable to some kind of failure and can even be bypassed. This creates a risk to the chain of custody. This paper presents a conceptual model of a sensor driven, blockchain-based forensic evidence container designed to provide real-time tamper detection with immutable digital logging using blockchain technology. The system uses multiple sensors, interconnected by sensor fusion and a microcontroller. The events recorded by the sensor are transmitted using the MQTT protocol and are recorded on the Ethereum testnet, where the immutability of the blockchain guarantees the transparency and non-repudiation of evidence transfer. The proposed framework is expected to increase the evidentiary value by creating a verifiable audit trail and immediate alerts against any attempt to tamper or any unauthorized access. Future work is to convert this concept to a complete, functional prototype integrating all hardware and software components in a rugged physical container. This includes finalizing the placement and mounting of sensors, implementing power management systems, developing production quality firmware, creating a user interface for authorized personnel and extensive field testing.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - V. P. Adarsh
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/05/05
TI  - A Conceptual Model for Sensor-Driven, Blockchain-Secured Evidence Containers in Forensic Investigations
BT  - Proceedings of the First International Conference on Advances in Forensics and Cyber Technologies (ICFACT 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 27
EP  - 41
SN  - 2352-538X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-610-4_6
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-610-4_6
ID  - Adarsh2026
ER  -