How useful it is to issue digital certificates on the blockchain?

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Blockchain technology is used in several ways in varied industries for offering high-security managing distribution systems and recording valuable information. Blockchain records all transactions without any verification from third parties. An evolving issue in recent years is - counterfeiting certification. It is posing serious threats to people. Issuing paper-based certificates manually is prone to errors and time- consuming. Day by day, the number of people's data is increasing, so deploying a system for both issuing and verifying digital certificates based on blockchain technology can solve issues of forged documents.

What is the current problem with document certification?

Many organisations and businesses need original documents for verification purposes before further processing. Some valuable documents like (birth certificates) exist only once. Parties involved in verification and issuing other certificates may experience hesitancy to handle these sensitive documents and that can result in damage or even loss. Many parties are unable to protect the valuable physical pieces of paper with this process. Another big problem comes from data theft. Many people have reported it. So the question comes: how can this issue be solved? Creating digital proof or digital certificates certified or signed by respective institutions or authorised organisations can be beneficial. With blockchain-based digital certificates, you can access and verify the digital asset's authenticity without depending on any intermediary or third party. Traditional data records like paper files deteriorate over time. storing records like digital certificates on the blockchain can help in safeguarding sensitive credentials from destruction & damage. Blockchain document security methods can help users seamlessly secure their sensitive documents.

What about blockchain solutions?

Blockchain technology has brought a revolution in storing and sharing data. The mechanism of cryptography helps in keeping information fully secured. Blockchain offers a digital ledger or decentralised database of data. Centred on computer networks that approve updates before data get recorded and verified. It lessens the reliance and vulnerability of centralised data storage. Instead of handling physical pieces of documents, issuing and storing digital certificates in blockchain can be advantageous to users. You can efficiently utilise the benefits of blockchain, like - authentication, encryption and decentralisation. Every certificate consists of references of both issuer and receiver with a hash (a sign of document), that is stored in the public database. It is identical in the number of computers throughout the globe. These digital certificates with blockchain technology have vital additional advantages over any other certificates.

How does blockchain make digital certificates work?

When a digital certificate is issued, data gets digitised. A digital identity gets assigned to every certificate. All of the digital certificates are tagged as well as traceable. Original documents are stored safely in the computer networks in the blockchain which are known as nodes. In totality, blockchain makes digital certificates highly transparent and secured. It also makes it easy to unfurl any fraud because this technology can expose any forged or outdated certificates.

Are these digital certificates tamper-proof?

Yes, the digital certificates are tamper-proof not by just signing but right after the beginning of the transaction. A signing algorithm produces a signature that is encrypted through a private key. The digital signature in these certificates can never be forged without having access to the private key of the user or members. With the help of document security QR codes, users can secure their valuable credentials.

What are the potential benefits of issuing digital certificates on the blockchain?

Blockchain has evolved to be beneficial for the financial industry. This technology is the most talked about and sought-after technology used in the world. There are innumerable benefits of issuing digital certificates on the blockchain. Some of them are here: a) Require fewer resources for issuance: Issuance and maintenance of digital certificates on the blockchain require a very less number of resources. As a result, the whole process saves time, effort and human capital. b) Digital certificates are conveyable: Contrary to physical certificates, the digital ones issued on the blockchain need not be carried around every place. Digital certificates are there to exist for a lifetime. These certificates can be easily accessed on any of your devices from any part of the world. c) Ideal as Identity proof: Digital certificates based on blockchain are the best substitution for the traditional proofs of paper identification. Digital certificates are issued on a highly secured framework of blockchain which is fully secured. These verifiable certificates can be easily traced all the way back to an issuer. This method makes the procedure transparent. You can use the blockchain document security method for securing and storing your valuable documents. d) Gives overall data security: Paper certificates can also take days and months to get issued and dispatched. Paper certificates can be altered without issuing the institute's knowledge and that is risky. Digital certificates issued on the blockchain can not be altered by any person. If someone tries to tamper with it, then verification will fail. This makes data in your digital certificates fully secured as well as traceable. e) No third party requirement: Blockchain verification of digital certificates can be performed by any person having access to the network. There is no need for any third party interference for verification. Digital certificates can be verified even if any organisation that issued them no longer exists. f) For micro-credentialing: Every data remains encrypted in the digital certificates issued on the blockchain. Organisations or businesses can issue "micro-credentialing" for recognizing, career skills, learning and so on. It can help both students and organisations. g) Comes at an affordable cost: Using blockchain is not expensive. With the help of the blockchain-powered platform, you can issue digital certificates for numerous services with ease. You may need no extra software or hardware and be done with an internet connection. So in nutshell, the unique features of blockchain technology make issuing digital certificates easy and tamper-proof. Blockchain technology simplifies and facilities the entire process of issuance of digital certificates. It also helps in the easy transfer of these certificates leading to the expansion of contents and information. We hope in the next few years, more and more organisations will come forward in embracing digital certificates issuance on the blockchain. A blockchain document security system can help you to secure sensitive credentials with ease.

Can Blockchain Help Fight Certificate Fraud in Education and Training?

Posted on September 26, 2023

With the world going digital, the fake certificate industry is booming and growing by the day. Moreover, sophisticated organizations are churning out certificates that are an exact replica of original certificates, making it difficult to spot the fake from the original. Such organizations do not undermine the authenticity of authorized certificates but can also lead to more serious complications. However, you can authenticate and certify documents with blockchain to prevent certificate fraud in education and training.

What is Certificate Fraud, and What are the Problems Associated With Fake Certificates?

Before we dive into the deep end and uncover the drawbacks of fake certificates, let’s first understand what certificate fraud is.

Certificate fraud in education and training refers to the issuance of fake certificates to make counterfeit declarations about an individual’s educational qualifications or skills possessed. This is usually done with the intention of duping someone for personal or financial gain.

For instance, if Max, a business major and avid space explorer, wants to get into a reputed university’s space research program, he could either have to switch his major—if the option is still available—or contact a fake certificate organization to procure a fake certificate from an obscure or fake university. In certain cases, if the individual is particularly brave, they might also opt for a fake university from a renowned university.

Fake certificates are an issue because:

They dupe organizations and diminish the effort put in by genuine individuals who pour in their sweat, blood, and tears to earn a legitimate certificate.
They have far-reaching consequences:
- If a university admits an unqualified individual into a coveted masters program, the average performance of the class might go down.
- Deserving candidates will miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
- Unqualified individuals with jobs requiring special knowledge are a threat to society. Examples include an accountant, doctor, lawyer, police officer, architect, nurse, banker, and more.
They undermine the goodwill of the issuing authority and make a mockery out of the employer, leading to legal and financial issues.

But not all is lost. Certificate fraud in education and training can be fought with blockchain certification.

Fight Certificate Fraud With Blockchain

Blockchain-based verifiable credentials are the ideal solution to certificate fraud. Verifiable credentials are a digital version of physical certificates or can be issued anew to make legitimate claims about an individual’s educational or training qualifications.

These digital certificates can only be issued by authorized organizations—the ones following the standards and regulations laid down in the Verifiable Credentials Data Model 1.0 by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Moreover, being hosted on blockchain, these credentials are tamper-proof, can be verified by machines, and usually employ privacy enhancing technology like Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs).

Further, they are transparent, can be easily verified on blockchain networks, can be shared instantly, and prevent certificate fraud.

Looking for a trusted platform to fight certificate fraud and issue verifiable credentials right away? Look no further than ProofEasy. ProofEasy is a state-of-the-art solution, employing patented blockchain and QR code technology to help you issue, share, store, and verify documents seamlessly.