A Privacy Preserving Multi Factor Identity Framework for Smart Campuses Using Biometrics and Blockchain

The rapid emergence of digitization in higher education institutes highlights the inefficiencies and weaknesses of legacy identification methods, such as manual register systems. These are both time-consuming and susceptible to fraud in the form of proxy attendance ("buddy punching"). The USSCS framework proposed in this paper presents a privacy-first model for integrating campus services, namely attendance, access, and cashless payment mechanisms into one digital identity system. The USSCS framework utilizes an ESP32-S3-based hub, 13.56 MHz RFID, and fingerprint biometric methods for efficient multi-factor identification. In order to improve privacy and security, blockchain-based identity management and Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) were integrated into the USSCS framework. Thus, the verification process will be possible without exposing sensitive data to unauthorized parties. In order to measure the effectiveness of the proposed multi-factor identification system, prototype implementation and testing was performed. The experiment shows that the proposed framework is capable of identifying individuals with up to 95-99% accuracy. It not only minimizes administrative burden but also prevents proxy attendance from occurring in campuses. Moreover, the framework conforms to the DPDP Act 2023 of India by following Privacy by Design.