• Dr. Paresh Ramnikbhai Rathod

Maintaining the integrity and authenticity of digital evidence is paramount in forensic investigations, particularly in the face of escalating cyber threats. Traditional chain of custody (CoC) systems are susceptible to vulnerabilities such as data tampering, unauthorized access, and lack of transparency, hindering effective cybercrime investigations. Blockchain technology offers a robust solution by providing an immutable, decentralized, and transparent framework for managing digital evidence. This paper proposes a blockchain-based CoC system leveraging smart contracts to automate evidence tracking and ensure security, specifically addressing challenges in cloud forensics, ransomware investigations, and the growing complexity of IoT device forensics. By integrating advanced cryptographic hashing, optimized decentralized consensus mechanisms, and real-time access logs, our model enhances forensic reliability and strengthens cyber security posture. We discuss potential legal and regulatory implications, ethical considerations, and future research directions, including the integration of sophisticated AI-driven forensic analysis and the exploration of post-quantum cryptography. Comparative analysis with existing forensic custody models demonstrates the efficiency, robustness, and scalability of our approach, contributing to the broader discussion on securing digital evidence with emerging technologies and providing a practical framework for real-world forensic applications in the dynamic landscape of cyber security.

Digital Forensics, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Chain of Custody (CoC), Cybersecurity

"AI-POWERED CHAIN OF CUSTODY BLOCKCHAIN-BASED CHAIN OF CUSTODY FOR ENHANCED DIGITAL FORENSIC INTEGRITY ", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 4, page no.n342-n346, April-2025, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2504D44.pdf

"AI-POWERED CHAIN OF CUSTODY BLOCKCHAIN-BASED CHAIN OF CUSTODY FOR ENHANCED DIGITAL FORENSIC INTEGRITY ", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 4, page no. ppn342-n346, April-2025, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2504D44.pdf