Implementing Blockchain for Enhancing Security and Authentication in Iraqi E-Government Services

Abstract

E-Government is used to provide various services to citizens via an online portal and is currently available in many countries. Current e-government technology is supported by an extensive, centrally controlled database and a collection of applications linked to it through web interfaces. However, e-government depends too much on centralization. E-government services store sensitive data about citizens, making them particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks, data breaches, and access control. Therefore, alternative techniques should be developed to protect sensitive data and ensure secure storage in e-government platforms. This study proposes a safe and distributed electronic system for e-government based on blockchain technology to protect sensitive data from breaches. This system uses advanced encryption methods, including Lightweight Encryption Device (LED) and Elliptic-Curve Cryptography (ECC), to protect transmitted data. The proposed system employs a two-layer encryption approach to secure user data. The first layer utilizes the LED algorithm with a randomly generated key, and the second employs the ECC algorithm with a public key obtained from the blockchain server to enhance user data security and privacy. The proposed system allows data to be disseminated across many networks, retrieves and synchronizes data in case of unauthorized changes, and restores them to their original form. Experimental results showed that the proposed system takes an average of 0.05 seconds to complete the login process for five successful login attempts, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed approach in the execution of login procedures. The effectiveness of this system in resisting different attack types was verified through formal and informal security analyses and simulations based on the Scyther tool.