Securing E-Governance: A Blockchain-Based Framework for Tamper-Proof PDF Document Exchange

Ganesan R^*Priyanka Mishra

• Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai, Chennai, India

E-Governance has revolutionized public administration by enabling efficient service delivery, improved workflows, and enhanced transparency. A cornerstone of e-governance is the secure exchange of digital documents, especially PDFs, which are commonly used for official communication. However, the growing reliance on digital documentation has exposed these systems to sophisticated cyber threats, such as shadow attacks and policy tampering. Shadow attacks exploit the flexibility of the PDF specification to bypass the integrity of digitally signed files, while policy tampering involves malicious manipulation of access controls to compromise document security. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a blockchain-based framework that ensures the validity, integrity, and security of PDFs in e-governance environments. By leveraging blockchain's immutable and tamper-resistant properties, the system securely stores access policies and document metadata, making policy tampering infeasible even in the face of Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks. The framework employs Policy-based Governance infrastructure to enhance the confidentiality of digital signatures. The proposed solution is evaluated for efficiency and cost-effectiveness, showing a tamper proof method compared to traditional methods providing robust protection against cyber threats. This system offers a collaborative, secure environment for e-governance, ensuring the integrity of document exchanges and the trustworthiness of government operations.