A Zero-Trust and Blockchain-Integrated Cybersecurity Framework for Digital Ecological Education in Nature Reserves

Amid the digital transformation of ecological education in nature reserves, online platforms face key challenges—including unstable outdoor networks, heterogeneous terminal access, and high-risk leakage of sensitive ecological data—that traditional security mechanisms struggle to address. This study proposes a four-layer cybersecurity architecture integrating active defense, encryption reinforcement, and elastic infrastructure. Key innovations include a nature reserve–specific zero-trust security domain model, an “encryption-certificate” dual-chain protection mechanism for ecological data based on the SM4 national cryptographic algorithm and blockchain, and an intent-based micro-isolation strategy. Deployed in Hunan Forest Park, the system reduces security incidents by 96% and overall data leakage risk by 99.1%, with an average fault recovery time of 2.49 seconds and stable service response under 200 ms. The solution offers a safe, scalable, and replicable approach to ecological education digitization, advancing the industry's shift from passive protection to active immunity.