Assuring the Integrity of Videos from Wireless-Based IoT Devices using Blockchain

Blockchain technology has drawn attention from various communities. The underlying consensus mechanism in Blockchain enables a myriad of applications for the integrity assurance of stored data. In this paper, we utilize Blockchain technology to verify the authenticity of a video captured by a streaming IoT device for forensic investigation purposes. The proposed approach computes the hash of video frames before they leave the IoT device and are transferred to a remote base station. To guarantee the transmission, we ensure that this hash is sent through a TCP-based connection. The hash is then stored on multiple nodes on a permissioned blockchain platform. In case the video is modified, the discrepancy will be detected by investigating the previously stored hash on the blockchain and comparing it with the hash of the existing frame in question. In this work, we present the prototype as proof-of-concept with experiment results. The system has been tested on a RaspberryPi with different quality of videos to evaluate performance. The results show that the concept can be implemented with moderate video resolutions.

I. Introduction

Video scene is a very important material to interrogate a crime and resolve any dispute because it reveals so much detailed information about the case [1], [2]. The proliferation of IoT devices enables convenient video recording opportunities which can be quickly transferred through the availability of various wireless communication options. This may include drones which are used in many smart city applications as well as other wireless-based cameras deployed on streets/buildings, including those used by police officers in pursuing crimes [3] [4].