CustodyChainGuardian: Blockchain of Custody Digital Evidence Preservation System

Digital forensic investigation is a systematic process for identifying, preserving, collecting, analyzing, and presenting digital evidence in court. Chain-of-custody (CoC) is crucial, ensuring the evidence's integrity and admissibility. Blockchain technology, with its characteristics of openness, decentralization, and immutable ledger, offers enhanced security and transparency for maintaining digital evidence during forensic investigations. This paper presents the CustodyChainGuardian (CCG) framework, a multi-layered methodology designed to ensure the integrity, authenticity, and traceability of digital evidence throughout its lifecycle. The four-layer architecture includes the Front-end Layer, Cloud Layer, Database Layer, and Blockchain Layer. The Front-end Layer provides a user-friendly interface for evidence submission and management, while the Cloud Layer offers robust storage and backup capabilities. The Database Layer stores original digital evidence with unique identifiers and strict access control. The Blockchain Layer introduces immutability and transparency to the chain-of-custody. Rigorous experimentation validates the system's effectiveness and reliability.