Encrypted Digital Evidence Storage with Controlled Access Verification

Abstract

The rapid growth of digital technologies, cloud computing, and online communication platforms has significantly increased the volume of digital evidence generated in domains such as cybercrime investigation, law enforcement, forensic analysis, and judicial proceedings. Traditional evidence management relied on physical media and manual verification processes, making evidence handling inefficient, time-consuming, and prone to human error. Although digital evidence management systems have improved storage and retrieval capabilities, many existing solutions still lack robust security mechanisms, fine-grained access control, reliable integrity verification, and comprehensive auditability. These limitations expose sensitive evidence to unauthorized access, data tampering, insider threats, and reduced legal admissibility. This work addresses the challenge of securely storing, managing, and preserving digital evidence within cloud-based environments, where distributed access increases security risks. The proposed framework is implemented as a Flask-based web application that integrates the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) to ensure evidence confidentiality and the Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA-256) to verify data integrity and detect tampering. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), request-driven authorization workflows, and detailed audit logging provide secure access management, accountability, and complete traceability throughout the evidence lifecycle. Additionally, a Lightning Memory-Mapped Database (LMDB) is employed to enable highperformance, transaction-consistent storage with efficient read and write operations. The framework delivers a secure, scalable, and efficient solution that enhances evidence confidentiality, integrity, forensic reliability, and overall operational performance in modern digital evidence management systems.