Decentralized edge computing approach for secure and efficient preservation of short-term electronic forensic evidence through consensus

Abstract

With the burgeoning prevalence of edge computing, there has been a significant surge in the utilization of content caching across the digital landscape, significantly streamlining and expediting short-term electronic forensic operations. This study pioneers an innovative caching model tailored specifically for short-lived electronic forensic evidence within edge computing environments. The novel framework integrates blockchain technology to ensure the secure storage of evidentiary data, bolstered by an advanced consensus mechanism rooted in the MerkleTree architecture. This design safeguards the consistency and immutability of stored information. By decentralizing the process, this approach empowers real-time, on-the-edge electronic forensic investigations, effectively mitigating any risk of tampering from all parties involved, such as forensic examiners, cloud service providers, and end-users. Empirical findings robustly substantiate the efficacy of this proposed model in safeguarding and maintaining the fidelity of electronic evidence records, thus guaranteeing both the integrity and promptness of forensic materials. This groundbreaking solution sets a new standard for trustworthy and expedient handling of digital forensics at the edge of networks.