A byzantine-resistant blockchain framework for secure and scalable immigration management

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Information Security
• Distributed Systems

Background:

• Centralized immigration databases suffer from security vulnerabilities, processing inefficiencies, and interoperability issues.
• Existing blockchain solutions for immigration often compromise on regulatory compliance (e.g., GDPR) or scalability.
• There is a need for a secure, scalable, and compliant immigration management system validated in real-world scenarios.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate an enhanced Hyperledger Fabric 2.5 architecture for immigration management.
• To address security, efficiency, and compliance challenges in current systems.
• To demonstrate the real-world applicability and benefits of the proposed solution.

Main Methods:

• Developed an enhanced Hyperledger Fabric 2.5 architecture incorporating a modified PBFT consensus protocol.
• Integrated zk-SNARKs for privacy-preserving document verification and a hybrid storage model with IPFS.
• Implemented role-specific channels with AES-256-GCM encryption and Merkle tree auditing.
• Deployed the system at two European border checkpoints for a 90-day trial.

Main Results:

• Achieved 1,247 transactions per second (TPS) with fault tolerance using the modified PBFT protocol.
• Demonstrated 97.3% accuracy in privacy-preserving document verification using zk-SNARKs, ensuring GDPR compliance.
• Reduced ledger bloat by 58% using IPFS and decreased energy consumption by 62% compared to Fabric 2.4.
• Attained a median visa approval latency of 47.8 ms, completely prevented forged documents, and achieved 94% operator satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• The enhanced Hyperledger Fabric 2.5 architecture offers a secure, scalable, and compliant solution for immigration management.
• The system significantly improves processing efficiency, enhances security against forged documents, and meets regulatory requirements.
• This innovative approach sets a new benchmark for modern immigration infrastructure, demonstrating substantial improvements in performance and user satisfaction.