Strengthening the Security and Privacy of National Identity Numbers (NINs) in Smart Contract Mechanisms through AES Encryption

. National Identity Numbers (NINs) or Similar identification numbers issued by the government are considered sensitive personal information that needs to be protected from theft or unauthorized access. In 2022, the Ministry of Communications and Informatics in Indonesia reported 33 incidents related to violations of personal data protection. Data breaches of national identity information are serious cases that can have detrimental consequences for individuals and society. If the security of such systems is inadequate, NIN data can be hacked or stolen by unauthorized parties. The current storage applications for personal data still rely on centralized systems. In a centralized system, all control, decision-making, and data are concentrated within a central authority or entity. This central authority has full control over the system and can make decisions on behalf of the entire system. Centralized systems have drawbacks in terms of privacy and data security because they are fully controlled by a central entity or server. NIN smart contracts on the blockchain provide a solution due to their decentralized and immutable nature. Smart contracts offer a higher level of protection, enhancing security and privacy. In a decentralized system, decision-making and control are distributed among multiple participants or nodes, eliminating the need for a central authority. Participants in the system work together to achieve consensus and maintain system operations. Data is typically distributed and stored across multiple nodes, and participants have more autonomy and control over their data. The popular encryption technique AES offers essential security for sensitive data. Smart contract mechanisms automatically encrypt all transactions and data and validate the stored data on the blockchain to prevent unauthorized access. This is achieved by integrating AES 256 and SHA-256 encryption. This research aims to develop a dApps population management system using blockchain and proof-of-stake consensus. The goals include enhancing privacy, data security, user autonomy, and transparency by eliminating central authorities and enabling peer-to-peer interactions. The impact of this research is to reduce incidents of personal data breaches.