A Blockchain-Fog Hybrid Framework for Secure Exam Results Management using Proof-of-Authority Consensus

The unique features of Blockchain technology, including decentralization, immutability, reliability and trust, guide researchers to apply this technology in Education field. Where the massive data contains vital information of millions of students is stored in central servers, which encounters risks to lost or tampering data in case of system failure or cyber-attack. This study introduces a novel Secure and Scalable blockchain-based framework for Exam Results Management (ERM), Leveraging Proof of Authority (PoA) consensus protocol at fog computing nodes for low-latency validation. Where students' exam results are transmitted locally to Correction Centers (Ccs) equipped with fog nodes, theses CCs play the rule of validators in the PoA consensus, this addresses the security and tamper-proof challenges known in the traditional ERM. The framework demonstrates that the number of users (agents, professors...) connected to each fog node do not affect the latency. Contrarily in the number of fog nodes (CCs), the simulation demonstrated that as the number increases the longer takes the validation. This two factors, the number of users and the number of fog nodes are tested with the same number of transactions and in the same conditions. This work offers a secure, scalable and low-latency framework where speed and reliability are paramount. DOI : https://doi.org/10.52783/pst.1805