Securing Digital Copies of the Documents to Ensure Documents' Integrity

Abstract

Purpose: This article addresses the critical issue of securing the electronic documentation flow, focusing on maintaining document content integrity without compromising ease of use in everyday processes involving documents. Design/Methodology/Approach: The proposed electronic document verification method is versatile and applicable to both electronic and printed documents. The described approach has been meticulously designed and rigorously tested within a certification environment, where the need for confirming users' skills and knowledge is paramount. Findings: In the contemporary landscape dominated by the prevalence of electronic markets and document flow, the potential susceptibility of electronic documentation to forgery often goes unnoticed. The transition to electronic formats renders documentation more vulnerable to unauthorized modifications, leaving no discernible traces of tampering. The advancement of Information Technology (IT) techniques further facilitates the facile alteration of electronic documents, irrespective of whether they are in the form of scanned images stored as bitmap files or in Portable Document Format (PDF). Although commonly perceived as tamper-resistant, these formats are not immune to manual document file manipulations, presenting an avenue for fraudulent activities. Practical Implications: Established techniques such as Private Key Infrastructure (PKI) or cryptographic hash functions for generating document checksums can be employed for this purpose. While effective in preserving content integrity, these methods pose a significant challenge in terms of usability for the average computer user. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of the QR codes usage in simplifying the verification process while maintaining credibility of the document. Originality/value: The article presents a detailed description of the approach, focusing on secure QR codes with extended unique identifiers for efficient verification. It further examines the implementation of this approach within the author's ICT system within International Computer Driving License (ICDL) Certification Program in Poland.