Intervention of Innovative Technologies for Eradicating Tampering in Digital Forensics: Practicing Intelligent Decision Methodologies

Abstract

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is one of the popular technologies of Industry 4.0. This technology involves of advanced equipment such as sensors, machines, and analytics platforms in industrial settings. The utilized equipment has been harnessed to improve efficiency, productivity, and safety. IIoT forensics is a specialized field of digital forensics that deals with the investigation of IIoT devices. In terms of digital forensics, there are several open challenges, including the need for more effective data acquisition techniques, the need for better tools and techniques for analyzing IIoT data, and the need for more research on the legal and ethical implications of IIoT forensics. However, the increasing use of IIoT devices and systems is presenting new challenges, including data security, privacy, and safety. These challenges became an incentive for the inclusion of Blockchain technology (BCT) which is considered one of the most famous Industry 4.0 technologies in securing data and transactions. Wherein, BCT offers a solution to some IIoT security challenges, including data integrity, authentication, access control, confidentiality, transparency, scalability, resilience, and provenance. Hence, leveraging BCT in ambiances where tampering is prevalent, and counterfeiting has become imperative. In this light, BCT can be used in digital forensics due to its ability to construct a transparent environment that is characterized by decentralized and immutable in the event of safety accidents or cyber-attacks. Without a doubt, in such an environment, selecting and utilizing an adequate BC application for preventing any data alteration unless there is consensus on that is important.  Accordingly, this matter is considered the catalyst in this paper for constructing a robust intelligent appraiser model for appraising the available nominates of BC applications. In the context of selecting and implementing a blockchain-based digital forensic scheme within the IIoT communication architecture, the techniques of Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) are considered a strong contributor. Wherein these techniques can help balance various criteria that preferences amongst BC applications are based on. Hence, Entropy and Additive Ratio Assessment (ARAS) are contributing to constructing the proposed intelligent appraiser model as techniques of MCDM. As well these techniques are working under the authority of Type-2 neturosophic numbers (T2NN) which are considered one of the popular members of Neutrosophic uncertainty theory.