Blockchain in Higher Education: A Secure Traceability Architecture for Degree Verification
Daniel Ioan CHIS, Mihai Dan Caramihai · IntechOpen eBooks · 2023
College fraud, driven by the demand for diplomas in the labor market, has become a pervasive global phenomenon. This multi-billion-dollar industry poses a significant challenge, as almost every employer is susceptible to encountering fraudulent diplomas. The lack of transparency in the accreditation process and university data systems necessitates trust in intermediaries, including students, faculty, and university officials, to verify the legitimacy of credentials. However, this trust-based system leaves room for errors and fraudulent activities, leading to the proliferation of fake diplomas. Blockchain technology emerges as a potential solution, promising trustless and transparent systems that eliminate the need for intermediaries or central authorities in transactions between strangers. By leveraging blockchain, a distributed digital platform can be developed, fostering integrity and trust among participants from different industries. Within the context of certificate systems, blockchain offers the means to establish a secure and tamper-proof record of credentials. Each certificate or diploma can be digitally signed and stored on the blockchain, ensuring its authenticity and preventing unauthorized modifications or forgery. This enables direct access and verification of credentials by employers, bypassing the reliance on potentially untrustworthy intermediaries.