Secure Online Tender Document Submission With Bid Evaluation And Audit Monitoring

Abstract

With the rapid growth of digital procurement platforms, organizations increasingly rely on online tendering systems to manage vendor selection, contract bidding, and document exchange. While digital tendering improves accessibility and operational efficiency, it also introduces serious security challenges related to data confidentiality, bid integrity, and unauthorized access. Sensitive bid documents, pricing information, and communication between buyers and sellers are often exposed to risks such as data leakage, tampering, and impersonation when handled through conventional web portals or email-based systems. In traditional tender management systems, bid submissions and documents are usually stored in plain format or protected only by basic login mechanisms. Such systems lack strong encryption, audit trails, and controlled access, making them vulnerable to cyberattacks, insider threats, and disputes regarding bid authenticity. The absence of traceability and real-time monitoring further reduces trust among participants and weakens the transparency of the procurement process. To overcome these limitations, this research integrates a web-based platform built using Flask with a Camellia with Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) Cryptographic framework to protect all sensitive data including bids, documents, and messages. Role-based access control (RBAC) ensures that administrators, buyers, and sellers can only perform authorized operations. Encrypted storage and secure file handling prevent unauthorized viewing or modification of tender data, an audit logging mechanism records every critical action, providing traceability and accountability throughout the tender lifecycle. The significance of this system lies in its ability to combine security, transparency, and usability within a single platform. By ensuring encrypted data handling, controlled access, and comprehensive audit monitoring, the proposed system enhances trust between all stakeholders and provides a reliable foundation for modern digital procurement and e-tendering environments.