Mobile Evidence Preservation Using Blockchain And IPFS: A Conceptual Review

Abstract

Digital evidence plays a crucial role in modern criminal investigations, cybercrime analysis, and legal proceedings. However, conventional evidence storage systems suffer from vulnerabilities such as unauthorized access, data tampering, centralized failures, and lack of transparency. With the increasing use of mobile devices for capturing evidence such as images, videos, audio recordings, and documents, ensuring the integrity and authenticity of such evidence has become a significant challenge.This paper presents a conceptual review of a mobile-based evidence preservation model that integrates Blockchain technology and the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) to provide a secure, tamper-resistant, and decentralized framework. Blockchain is used for immutable hash storage and traceability, while IPFS enables efficient and distributed storage of large digital evidence files. The proposed model highlights the architecture, working principles, roles of stakeholders, and advantages over traditional systems.

Introduction

The rapid growth of smartphones and digital media has changed how evidence is collected and stored, especially in cases involving cybercrime and illegal activities. However, digital evidence is vulnerable to modification, deletion, and unauthorized access, creating challenges in maintaining its integrity and legal admissibility. Traditional centralized evidence systems rely on third parties and are prone to security risks, single points of failure, and chain-of-custody issues.

Blockchain technology offers a decentralized, transparent, and immutable solution for securing evidence. When combined with IPFS (InterPlanetary File System), which provides decentralized off-chain storage, it enables a scalable and secure evidence management system. The proposed concept focuses on a mobile and web-based platform using this hybrid approach.

The related work shows that many studies explore blockchain for digital forensics, mainly for storing logs and ensuring data integrity. However, storing large files directly on blockchain is inefficient, so a hybrid blockchain–IPFS model is recommended. Despite progress in this area, limited research focuses on mobile-based evidence capture with role-based administrative control.

The literature review highlights that existing studies improve data security, forensic structuring, and policy management, but most do not provide a complete evidence lifecycle solution. Some focus only on record preservation, while others lack strong security mechanisms, chain-of-custody support, scalability, or practical implementation for large multimedia evidence. Overall, there remains a need for an integrated, secure, and efficient digital evidence management framework.

Conclusion

Digital forensic investigations increasingly require secure and trustworthy mechanisms to preserve the integrity of digital evidence. Traditional centralized systems are vulnerable to tampering, unauthorized access, and lack transparent chain-of-custody management. To address these challenges, this project proposes a blockchain-based digital evidence preservation model that ensures immutability, authenticity, and traceability of forensic data. By integrating blockchain with IPFS-based off-chain storage, the system efficiently handles large multimedia evidence while maintaining tamper detection through cryptographic hash verification. The mobile and web-based implementation supports real-time evidence collection and role-based access through user and administrator portals. Overall, the proposed approach provides a scalable, secure, and practical solution that enhances the reliability and legal admissibility of digital forensic evidence

References

[1] S. Durga, E. Daniel, S. Deepakanmani, T. Mary Neeba, and V. Ravi, “Blockchain-based Privacy Preservation Technique for Digital Forensics Records,” in Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain in Digital Forensics, Springer Nature, Cham, 2022. [2] N. Xiao, Z. Wang, X. Sun, and J. Miao, “A Novel Blockchain-based Digital Forensics Framework for Preserving Evidence and Enabling Investigation in Industrial Internet of Things,” Alexandria Engineering Journal, vol. 86, pp. 631–643, Jan. 2024. [3] A. H. Lone and R. N. Mir, “Forensic-Chain: Blockchain-based Digital Forensics Chain of Custody with PoC in Hyperledger Composer,” Digital Investigation, vol. 28, pp. 44–55, Mar. 2019. [4] M. I. Shrunga, A. Ashwini, U. Deepthi, R. Spandana, and K. Rakesh, “A Survey on Blockchain Based Digital Forensics Framework,” International Journal for Research in Applied Science & Engineering Technology, vol. 12, no. IV, Apr. 2024. [5] S. Kumar and A. Saha, “Internet-of-Forensics: A Blockchain-based Digital Forensics Framework for IoT Applications,” Future Generation Computer Systems, vol. 120, pp. 13–25, 2021.

Copyright

Copyright © 2026 K Madhusha, Anunanda V K, Abhina K, Aarya M S, Ms Athira Balachandran. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.