Improved data leakage prevention using blockchain

Mondoji Riyaz khan Gollapalli jeevan Sai Krishna Reddy Dr.Geethanjali D

School of computer science engineering School of computer science engineering Assistant Professor
with blockchain technology with blockchain technology School of computer science engineering
Sathyabama institute of science and Sathyabama institute of science and Sathyabama institute of science and
technology technology technology
Chennai,Tamil Nadu-600119 Chennai,Tamil Nadu-600119 Chennai, Tamil Nadu-600119
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Abstract— Data leakage is the big challenge in front of the a decentralized and highly secure method for storing and
industries & different institutes. Though there are number of transmitting data. By leveraging the inherent characteristics
systems designed for the data security by using different of blockchain, organizations can significantly enhance their
encryption algorithms, there is a big issue of the integrity of data leakage prevention strategies, ensuring the integrity
the users of those systems. It is very hard for any system
administrator to trace out the data leaker among the system
and confidentiality of their critical information. At its core,
users. It creates a lot many ethical issues in the working blockchain is a distributed ledger technology that records
environment of the office. Data leakage detection techniques transactions across a network of computers in a manner that
are built for users to track if data has been leaked and the prevents retroactive alterations. This immutability is
trace the sources of data leakage. Many times, we come across achieved through the use of cryptographic hashing
cases where leaked data is found at unauthorized places. For algorithms, which convert data into a fixedsize string of
example, we may find sensitive data stored on an characters, known as a hash code. Each block in a
unauthorized laptop or website. At such a time it becomes blockchain contains not only a hash of the current block’s
important to trace the source of data leakage. For this data but also a hash of the previous block. This chaining of
purpose, we propose an improved data leakage detection
technique to trace back sources of unauthorized leakage by
blocks ensures that any attempt to alter the data in one block
using a strategy of data allocation across various agents. The would require changes to all subsequent blocks, making
strategy allows user to transfer data to users by considering unauthorized modifications nearly impossible. The use of
receivers as agents who are allocated data along with some id hashing algorithms in this context provides a robust
based undetectable alterations. These alterations allow our mechanism for maintaining data integrity, as any
system to trace back the source of leaked data as soon as it is unauthorized attempt to modify data would result in a hash
found on any unauthorized sources. In this system we propose that no longer matches the original, thereby signaling
to identify data leakages by storing data as per agents. Our potential tampering the application of blockchain hashing
system is designed for detection of data in (.txt,.jpg &.bmp) algorithms in data leakage prevention offers several notable
formats. To enhance the security and integrity of the data
allocation process, blockchain technology can be integrated
advantages. One of the primary benefits is the assurance of
into the proposed data leakage detection technique. data integrity. By storing data hashes in a blockchain, any
Blockchain, a decentralized and immutable ledger system, unauthorized modifications to the data can be immediately
offers a robust framework for tracking data transactions, detected. The mismatch between the recalculated hash and
ensuring that every interaction is transparent and traceable. the original hash serves as an indicator of tampering,
By leveraging cryptographic algorithms such as DES (Data ensuring that any alterations can be swiftly identified and
Encryption Standard), AES (Advanced Encryption addressed. This capability is especially valuable for
Standard), RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman), and Blowfish, the protecting highly sensitive information such as financial
system can further secure data during transfer and storage. records, medical data, and intellectual property, where even
By combining these encryption algorithms with blockchain's
immutable ledger, the proposed system not only tracks data
minor changes can have significant and potentially
allocations but also ensures that any unauthorized access or detrimental consequences. Moreover, the decentralized
modifications are easily detectable. This integration enhances nature of blockchain technology eliminates the single point
the overall security, making it significantly harder for of failure commonly associated with traditional centralized
malicious actors to leak data without being traced. databases. In a centralized system, the security of the data
is dependent on the integrity of a single central server. If
Index terms —smart contract tokenization, immutable this central server is compromised, the entire dataset can be
ledger, blockchain, real estate at risk. In contrast, blockchain distributes data across a
I. INTRODUCTION network of nodes, each of which holds a complete copy of
the blockchain. This distribution ensures that even if one or
In the digital era, the protection of sensitive information has several nodes are compromised, the data remains secure
become a paramount concern for organizations across and accessible from the remaining nodes in the network.
various sectors. As data breaches and unauthorized access This inherent redundancy enhances the system's resilience
incidents continue to escalate, traditional data security against attacks and reduces the risk of data leakage, making
measures are proving insufficient to address the evolving blockchain a more robust solution for safeguarding
landscape of cyber threats. One innovative solution that has sensitive information. In addition to its security and
emerged to tackle this challenge is the application of resilience, blockchain technology also provides
blockchain technology, specifically through its hashing transparency and auditability, which are crucial for data
algorithms. Originally developed as the foundation for leakage prevention. Every transaction recorded on a
cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, blockchain technology offers blockchain is time-stamped and linked to the previous
transaction, creating a transparent and traceable history of exposed or used as part of corporate spying. Data leaks are
all data changes. This feature allows organizations to caused by simple errors but those whose data is exposed
demonstrate accountability and compliance with data don't care about how the data was exposed only that it was.
protection standards by providing verifiable evidence of all The breach notification requirements for data leaks are the
interactions with their data. The ability to trace data same, as is the potential for reputational, financial, legal
changes and access history ensures that organizations can and regulatory damage.
maintain an auditable record of data handling, further
B. Proposed solution
enhancing the integrity and security of their information
management practices. Blockchain technology also
supports the implementation of smart contracts, which are To mitigate the risk of data leaks and protect sensitive
self executing contracts where the terms of the agreement information, organizations should adopt a multi-layered
are directly written into code. Smart contracts can automate data security strategy combining technical measures,
and enforce data access controls, ensuring that only employee training, and incident response planning. Firstly,
authorized parties can access sensitive information. For data encryption is essential; encrypting sensitive data both
example, a smart contract could be programmed to release in transit and at rest ensures that, even if data is accidentally
medical records only to individuals who provide a exposed, unauthorized individuals cannot access it without
cryptographic proof of their identity and authorization. This the decryption keys. Next, enforcing strong access controls,
automation reduces the risk of human error and enhances such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and role-based
the security of data access protocols by ensuring that access permissions, restricts data access to authorized personnel
is granted based on predefined and verifiable criteria. only, minimizing opportunities for accidental exposure.
Beyond the technical benefits, the adoption of blockchain Regular audits of access privileges and a principle of least
for data leakage prevention can foster greater trust among privilege approach help ensure that employees only have
stakeholders. In sectors such as finance, healthcare, and access to the data necessary for their roles, further reducing
supply chain management, where data sharing between exposure risks.Employee training is another critical
multiple parties is common, blockchain’s transparency and component, as human error is a frequent cause of data
security can build confidence in the integrity of shared data. leaks. Regular cybersecurity training should educate
Partners and customers can be assured that their employees on identifying phishing attempts, securely
information is protected against unauthorized access and 10 handling data, and reporting potential security incidents.
tampering, which strengthens collaborative relationships By promoting awareness and accountability, organizations
and enhances overall data governance. The ability to can significantly reduce accidental exposures caused by
provide transparent and tamper-proof records of data negligence. In addition to training, technical solutions such
interactions builds trust and facilitates more secure and as Data Loss Prevention (DLP) software can help monitor,
reliable data exchanges. In conclusion, blockchain hashing detect, and prevent unauthorized data transfers, adding an
algorithms present a robust and innovative approach to data extra layer of security. DLP tools can identify sensitive data
leakage prevention. By ensuring data integrity, enhancing patterns and flag potential leaks in real-time, allowing
security through decentralization, providing transparency organizations to respond before a leak becomes a
and auditability, enabling automated access controls, and breach.An effective incident response plan (IRP) is also
fostering trust among stakeholders, blockchain technology crucial. Organizations must be prepared to respond swiftly
offers significant improvements in protecting sensitive if a data leak is detected. An IRP should outline steps for
information. As organizations navigate the complexities of identifying the source of the leak, containing it, and
the digital landscape, the adoption of blockchain for data assessing the extent of exposure. This plan should also
leakage prevention represents a forward-thinking strategy include procedures for notifying affected parties, fulfilling
that leverages cutting-edge technology to deliver practical regulatory obligations, and implementing corrective
security benefits. This approach not only addresses current actions to prevent future incidents. Quick response can help
data protection challenges but also positions organizations minimize damage, reassure stakeholders, and demonstrate
to better handle future threats, ensuring the ongoing compliance with data protection regulations.Furthermore,
security and confidentiality of their critical data assets. regular security audits and vulnerability assessments are
essential to identify and address weaknesses in systems and
A. Problem Statement processes before they lead to data leaks. Security teams
A data leak is when sensitive data is accidentally exposed should continuously monitor for unusual network activity,
physically, on the Internet or any other form including lost unauthorized access attempts, and signs of data exfiltration.
hard drives or laptops. This means a cyber-criminal can Threat intelligence solutions and intrusion detection
gain unauthorized access to the sensitive data without systems (IDS) can provide early warnings, allowing
effort. If a cybercriminal identifies a data leak, the exposed proactive remediation.Lastly, implementing data
data could be used to strategize a successful cyberattack. anonymization techniques for non-critical data can reduce
So, by detecting and remediating data leaks before they are the risk of exposing identifiable information if a leak does
discovered, the risk of data breaches is significantly occur. This approach is especially helpful for testing or
reduced. The worst part is once a data exposure has analytics purposes, where full identification details may not
happened, it is extremely difficult to know whether the data be necessary. By combining these preventive and reactive
was accessed. This means that your confidential data, trade strategies, organizations can strengthen their data
secrets, source code, customer data, personal data and protection framework, reduce the likelihood of data leaks,
anything else stored on information systems could be
and mitigate the potential reputational, financial, and legal immutable record of all transactions is maintained for
consequences associated with data exposure. transparency and audit purposes.
Additionally, this workflow provides enhanced security
II. WORKFLOW due to blockchain’s decentralized nature, where each
transaction is verified by a network of nodes, reducing the
risk of single points of failure or manipulation. By storing
data hashes rather than the actual data on the blockchain,
the system ensures data privacy while still benefiting from
blockchain's immutability and transparency. In case of any
changes or tampering attempts, the altered hash will
immediately reveal discrepancies, flagging any integrity
issues. This system is especially useful in sectors that
require strict data security, like finance, healthcare, or
government, as it ensures real-time detection of
unauthorized access and maintains a secure audit trail,
promoting trustworthiness and regulatory compliance.

III. SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE

The workflow illustrated in the diagram describes a data

security process that integrates blockchain technology for
monitoring and protecting data from unauthorized access.
The process begins with the assessment of the data’s
sensitivity, where each data piece is analyzed to determine
its confidentiality level. This assessment helps decide if the
data warrants secure storage on a blockchain. Once the
data’s sensitivity is established, hashing algorithms are
applied to transform the data into a unique hash value.
Hashing is a cryptographic process that converts the data
into a fixed-size string of characters, which is nearly
impossible to reverse-engineer to retrieve the original data.
After hashing, the generated hash values are added to a
blockchain network, which serves as a secure and
immutable ledger. In this blockchain network, each block
contains essential information, including the hash,
timestamp, and transaction ID, to create a verifiable record.
The blockchain system continuously monitors access to the
data. In this workflow, there is a specific component
responsible for detecting unauthorized access attempts.
This monitoring function checks for anomalies in data
access patterns and detects any attempts to breach security.
If unauthorized access is detected, the system promptly
raises an alarm, signaling a potential security breach and The proposed architecture for an improved data leakage
enabling rapid response actions. If no unauthorized access prevention system integrates advanced encryption
is detected, the system simply continues monitoring algorithms with blockchain technology to provide a secure,
without triggering any alerts. This continuous monitoring tamper-resistant data management solution. The system
process ensures that the data remains secure over time, with starts with user authentication and access control, ensuring
any access attempt recorded on the blockchain for only authorized personnel can access sensitive data. Once
auditability. By recording hash values and timestamps in a authenticated, data is encrypted using a range of
blockchain database, the system maintains an unalterable cryptographic algorithms, including RSA, DES, AES,
history of data access events, providing a robust, tamper- Triple DES, and Blowfish. Each of these algorithms offers
proof method for data integrity verification. Thus, the distinct security features and performance advantages,
combination of hashing and blockchain technology in this providing flexibility in securing different types of data
workflow ensures that sensitive data is protected, any according to its sensitivity and the required processing
unauthorized access attempts are promptly detected, and an speed. After encryption, the data is integrated into a
blockchain network, represented by interconnected nodes, IV. CONCLUSION
which serves as a decentralized, immutable ledger to In the evolving landscape of digital security, the integration
securely store and track all data transactions. Blockchain’s of blockchain technology into data leakage prevention
decentralized nature ensures that once data is added, it systems marks a significant advancement. By harnessing
cannot be modified or deleted without consensus across the the power of blockchain's distributed ledger and
network, providing an additional layer of security and cryptographic hashing algorithms, organizations can
preventing unauthorized tampering. This blockchain layer achieve a level of data protection that is both robust and
is critical, as it allows for transparent and verifiable innovative. Blockchain's ability to ensure data integrity
tracking of data access and modifications, making it easier through its immutable record-keeping mechanisms offers a
to audit and trace any irregularities back to their strong defense against unauthorized modifications and
source.Following encryption and blockchain integration, tampering. The decentralized nature of blockchain
the data is securely stored in a database, where it can be eliminates the vulnerabilities associated with centralized
accessed and retrieved by authorized users through a strict systems, providing enhanced resilience and reducing the
access management system. Simultaneously, the system risk of data breaches. Furthermore, blockchain
includes a continuous monitoring mechanism, which technology's inherent transparency and auditability
observes transactions and access logs to detect any unusual contribute to more effective data governance. The ability to
activities or anomalies that might indicate unauthorized maintain a verifiable, time-stamped history of data
access or data leakage. This proactive monitoring layer is interactions ensures accountability and compliance with
crucial for real-time security, as it allows the system to stringent data protection standards. The implementation of
identify and flag potential threats before significant damage smart contracts adds another layer of security by
occurs. If the monitoring system detects any suspicious automating and enforcing data access controls, minimizing
activity or potential data breach, an alert system is human error, and ensuring that sensitive information is only
triggered. This alert system sends notifications to accessible to authorized parties based on predefined
administrators or other stakeholders, prompting them to criteria. The adoption of blockchain for data leakage
take immediate action to investigate and mitigate the risk prevention not only addresses current security challenges
of data leakage. This automated alert feature helps but also fosters greater trust among stakeholders. In sectors
minimize the response time to security incidents, ensuring where data sharing is prevalent, such as finance, healthcare,
rapid containment of any detected threats.The system’s and supply chain management, blockchain’s transparency
integration of multiple encryption methods with blockchain can build confidence in the integrity of shared data,
technology provides a highly secure and reliable enhancing collaborative relationships and overall data
framework for preventing data leakage. Blockchain’s governance. In conclusion, blockchain hashing algorithms
immutable ledger, combined with strong encryption, offer a powerful and forward-thinking approach to
ensures that unauthorized users cannot access or alter safeguarding sensitive information. By combining
sensitive information. Additionally, the layered approach advanced technology with practical security benefits,
of using various encryption algorithms offers flexibility blockchain represents a strategic solution for addressing
and resilience, as each algorithm can be selected based on data protection challenges in the digital age. This approach
the data’s security needs. The data retrieval process is also ensures that organizations can effectively manage and
secured through access control measures, further secure their data, both now and in the face of future threats,
reinforcing the system's integrity by ensuring that data is thereby maintaining the confidentiality and integrity of
accessible only to those with proper authorization. In case their critical data assets.
of any attempts at unauthorized access, the system’s
monitoring and alert mechanisms act as a final line of V. FUTURE WORKS
defense, preventing data from being compromised.This A. .Integrate the data leakage detection system with
architecture leverages the strengths of both encryption and existing enterprise security systems, such as Data
blockchain to deliver a comprehensive, multi-layered Loss Prevention (DLP) and Intrusion Detection
solution for data leakage prevention. By combining Systems (IDS). This combined approach would
authentication, encryption, blockchain’s decentralized and provide a more comprehensive security solution,
immutable ledger, proactive monitoring, and an automated improving detection accuracy and response times.
alert system, this architecture provides robust security that
addresses multiple facets of data protection. It ensures that B. Develop automated response mechanisms that
immediately restrict access or alert administrators
data remains confidential, intact, and traceable, making it
upon detecting potential data leaks or unauthorized
ideal for organizations handling sensitive or regulated access. This would minimize the time between
information. The architecture not only prevents data detection and response, reducing the chances of
leakage but also empowers administrators to detect, data misuse.
respond to, and contain potential breaches swiftly, making
it a holistic solution for modern data security challenges. REFERENCES

management. [1] A. Jaiswal, V. Purohit, V. Jhawar, Y. Jadhav and K.

Borhade, "Secure-e-Share: Data leakage Detection and
Prevention with Secured Cloud Storage," 2023 IEEE
. International Students' Conference on Electrical,
Electronics and Computer Science (SCEECS), Bhopal,
 India, 2023, pp. 1- 5, doi:
10.1109/SCEECS57921.2023.10063119.
[2] A. Kozachok, A. Spirin, V. Kozachok and D. Lavrova,
"Information leakage prevention based on the
separation of encrypted and compressed data," 2021
Ivannikov Ispras Open Conference (ISPRAS),
Moscow, Russian Federation, 2021, pp. 26-29, doi:
10.1109/ISPRAS53967.2021.00009.
[3] B. Hauer, "Data and Information Leakage Prevention
Within the Scope of Information Security," in IEEE
Access, vol. 3, pp. 2554-2565, 2015, doi:
10.1109/ACCESS.2015.2506185.
[4] B. S. Shishodia and M. J. Nene, "Data Leakage
Prevention System for Internal Security," 2022
International Conference on Futuristic Technologies
(INCOFT), Belgaum, India, 2022, pp. 1-6, doi:
10.1109/INCOFT55651.2022.10094509.
[5] E. G. Agrawal and D. S. J. Goyal, "Survey on Data
Leakage Prevention through Machine Learning
Algorithms," 2022 International Mobile and
Embedded Technology Conference (MECON), Noida,
India, 2022, pp. 121-123, doi:
10.1109/MECON53876.2022.9752047.
[6] K. W. Kongsgard, N. A. Nordbotten, F. Mancini, R.
Haakseth and P. E. Engelstad, "Data Leakage
Prevention for Secure Cross-Domain Information
Exchange," in IEEE Communications Magazine, vol.
55, no. 10, pp. 37-43, Oct. 2017, doi:
10.1109/MCOM.2017.1700235.
[7] M. E. Moudni and E. Ziyati, "Data Leakage Prevention
Approach Based On Insider Trust Calculation," 2023
10th International Conference on Wireless Networks
and Mobile Communications (WINCOM), Istanbul,
Turkiye, 2023, pp. 1-6, doi:
10.1109/WINCOM59760.2023.10322935.
[8] S. Peneti and B. P. Rani, "Data leakage prevention
system with time stamp," 2016 International
Conference on Information Communication and
Embedded Systems (ICICES), Chennai, India, 2016,
pp. 1-4, doi: 10.1109/ICICES.2016.7518934.
[9] S. V, L. S. P, N. K. P, L. P. V and B. S. CH, "Data
Leakage Detection and Prevention Using Cipher text-
Policy Attribute Based Encryption Algorithm," 2024
11th International Conference on Reliability, (Trends
and Future Directions) (ICRITO), Noida, India, 2024,
pp. 1-5, doi: 10.1109/ICRITO61523.2024.10522194.
[10] V. Bucur, O. Stan and L. C. Miclea, "Data Loss
Prevention and Data Protection in Cloud
Environments Based on Authentication Tokens," 2019
22nd International Conference on Control Systems and
Computer Science (CSCS), Bucharest, Romania,
2019, pp. 720-725, doi: 10.1109/CSCS.2019.00128.