The Role of Blockchain in Enhancing Digital Forensics: A Review of Challenges, Methodologies and Advantages

As digital transformation accelerates world-wide, digital forensics has become increasingly crucial in storing and administering digital evidence during forensic investigations. Although digital forensics provides a swift and effective manner to handle digital records, it also faces threats in the form of cyber-attacks, tampering, and collusion, which can undermine the integrity of forensic procedures. These issues underpin a call for better evidence-related management, that is more secure and resilient. Decentralized solutions, particularly blockchain can be used to ensure integrity, confidentiality, and traceability properties necessary for effective evidence management. Transparency throughout the case is ensured by the distributed architecture of blockchain, which contributes to the authenticity of digital evidence. We conducted a qualitative review of research on decentralization in digital forensics, identifying key topics and challenges within this niche. While several articles explored specific areas of decentralized digital forensics, a unified perspective is missing. With this review, we wish to bridge this gap by providing a broader perspective on how blockchain can improve forensic procedures in various working areas by addressing vulnerabilities and building the foundation for more secure digital forensics.