Digital Signature Archiving with Pre-Validation and Attestation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for archiving electronic content with digital signatures fail to validate the authenticity of signatures effectively, as they either do not validate before archiving or validate incorrectly after unarchiving due to expired certificates, revocations, or changes in the content or application versions.
Innovation Solution
The system validates digital signatures before archiving by using a certificate authority server and timestamp server to determine validity status, stores this data in metadata, and generates an attestation signature to secure the validity of the signatures, ensuring they can be validated upon unarchiving.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If digital signatures are archived without pre-validation, then the archiving process is simple and fast, but the signature validity cannot be guaranteed after unarchiving due to certificate expiration or revocation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by validating digital signatures before archiving the electronic content. The system checks certificate validity, revocation status, and signature integrity prior to archiving, storing validation results in metadata. This pre-validation ensures that signature authenticity is established before the content is archived, preventing future validation failures due to certificate expiration or revocation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an intermediary approach by introducing a validation mechanism that mediates between the digital signature and the archiving process. The system acts as an intermediary by verifying signatures through certificate authority servers and timestamp servers, capturing validation evidence, and embedding it in the archived content. This intermediary validation layer ensures signature reliability without requiring complex post-archiving validation infrastructure.
2Reliability
If digital signatures are validated after unarchiving, then the archiving process is simple, but validation fails due to expired certificates, revocations, or application version changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs signature validation as a preliminary action before archiving, rather than attempting validation after unarchiving. By validating signatures upfront and capturing validation evidence (certificate status, timestamp, validation results) during the archiving process, the system eliminates the time loss associated with failed post-unarchiving validation attempts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies copying by creating a snapshot copy of the validation state at the time of archiving. The system captures certificate validity, revocation status, and timestamp information, embedding these validation copies in the archived content metadata. This allows future verification without requiring the original certificates or application versions to be available.
3Reliability
If validity data is stored in metadata, then signature authenticity is preserved, but the metadata structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing validity data into distinct, organized components within the metadata structure. Rather than storing a single complex validation record, the system segments validity information into separate fields such as certificate status, revocation information, timestamp data, and validation results. This segmented approach preserves authenticity while making the metadata more manageable and queryable.
Data Source
AI summary
In various embodiments, a computerized method includes receiving electronic content to be archived. The electronic content comprises a digital signature. The method may include archiving the digital signature, by determining a validity status of the digital signature and storing the validity status in the electronic content. The method may also include archiving the electronic content after the validity status has been stored in the electronic content.