SecureChain – Digital Evidence Integrity & Chain-of-Custody System

SecureChain is a Java-based digital evidence preservation system developed during an IBM Internship. The project is designed to ensure the integrity, authenticity, and verifiability of digital evidence using cryptographic hashing techniques.

The system simulates real-world chain-of-custody workflows commonly used in cybersecurity, digital forensics, and legal investigations, enabling reliable tamper detection and evidence validation.

Key Objectives

• Preserve the integrity of digital evidence
• Detect tampering using cryptographic hash comparison
• Simulate forensic chain-of-custody workflows
• Provide secure access through authentication mechanisms

System Overview

SecureChain allows authenticated users to upload digital evidence files. Each uploaded file is processed using the SHA-256 hashing algorithm, and the generated hash is stored as a permanent integrity record.

When a file is re-uploaded for verification, the system recalculates its hash and compares it with the stored value to determine whether the evidence has been altered.

Technology Stack

• Backend: Java Servlets, java.security.MessageDigest
• Frontend: JavaServer Pages (JSP), HTML, CSS, JavaScript
• Database: MySQL
• Server: Apache Tomcat
• Database Connectivity: JDBC (MySQL Connector/J)

Core Features

Secure Authentication

• User registration and login functionality
• Passwords stored securely using SHA-256 hashing

Evidence Upload

• Authenticated users can upload digital evidence files
• Files are stored securely on the server
• SHA-256 hash generated using HashUtil.java
• Hash records maintained for future verification

Evidence Verification

• Users can re-upload files to verify integrity

• Verification outcomes:

  • VERIFIED – File integrity preserved
  • TAMPERED – Hash mismatch detected
  • NOT FOUND – No existing hash record available

System Architecture

• Authentication Layer
• Secure File Upload Module
• SHA-256 Hashing Engine
• Integrity Verification Module
• MySQL-backed Metadata Storage

Project Screenshots

Main Landing Page

User Registration Page

User Login Page

User Dashboard

Evidence Records

How to Run the Project

Database Setup

• Ensure MySQL server is running
• Create a database named securechaindb
• Import the securechaindb.sql file to create required tables

Server Setup

• Deploy the project on an Apache Tomcat server
• Add MySQL Connector/J (.jar file) to the Tomcat lib directory

Configuration

Update database credentials in:

src/main/java/com/securechain/util/DBConnection.java

Run

• Start the Tomcat server
• Access the application at:

http://localhost:8080/Secure_Chain/

Future Enhancements

• Blockchain-based immutable hash ledger
• Role-based access control (RBAC)
• Timestamped evidence logging
• Audit trail visualization

Contributers

Made By Diya Kharb

Disclaimer

This project is intended for educational and academic purposes and demonstrates secure digital evidence handling concepts.