Implementation of Digital Signatures and QR Codes for the Verification of Certificates of Authenticity for Diplomas

Diploma forgery is a serious problem that often occurs in the world of education. Therefore, this paper proposes a digital signature-based document verification system by utilizing the RSA algorithm combined with QR code technology. The proposed system aims to maintain the authenticity and increase the security of diploma documents through a secure and efficient certificate digitization process. Important information, such as the student identification number and diploma number, is hashed with SHA-256, signed with an RSA private key, and encoded in the form of a QR code in the certificate PDF file. Testing is conducted in four scenarios: the signing procedure, document verification, QR code generation, and blur resistance testing. Tests conducted using a 45 kb PDF show an average signing time of 164.0 milliseconds and an average $Q R$ code insertion time of 7.1 milliseconds. And testing with a 39 kb PDF reveals that the average PDF to PNG conversion time in the verification process is 1.59 seconds, and the average $Q R$ code verification time is 0.31 seconds. The system is capable of creating a multitude of data-structured, scannable, and easily interpretable QR codes. From the results, the system has proven to be capable of prompt processing speeds alongside having security and trust, which makes it suitable for wider educational use. The system contains a web interface that is user-friendly, allowing for automated tasks that help in combating forged diplomas while promoting digital change within educational institutions.