A Smart Contract Trust Security Framework for Regulatory Inspection Systems in Nuclear Regulatory

Blockchain technology has emerged as a transformative force across various sectors, including regulatory inspection systems. Blockchain integration offers solutions to enhance trust and transparency in nuclear regulatory environments, where data security and integrity are paramount. Our framework enhances the security, efficiency, data integrity, and transparency of regulatory inspections in the nuclear regulatory domain by leveraging Hyperledger Fabric, a permissioned blockchain platform, and smart contracts. The proposed system utilizes a Proof of Authority (PoA) consensus protocol to create a decentralized, immutable ledger for inspection data. The system features include automated workflow management, role-based access control, real-time tracking of inspection status, and an immutable audit trail. We use the STRIDE threat modeling methodology to perform security with mitigation strategies for identified risks. The performance evaluation compares the blockchain-based system to traditional database-driven approaches, demonstrating improvements in report generation time and system availability, despite some trade-offs in transaction throughput and latency. The framework's potential to streamline inspection processes, reduce manual errors, and enhance regulatory compliance is illustrated using a simulated case study. While acknowledging limitations and areas for future work, this research contributes to the evolving landscape of blockchain applications in nuclear safety and regulatory environments.