Electronic Document Authenticity via Signature Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for providing long-term authenticity proof of electronic documents are inefficient and insecure, requiring frequent retrieval and re-signing of documents, which is costly and poses security risks due to the need to transfer sensitive data.
Innovation Solution
Separating the electronic document and its digital signature into different archives, allowing for the electronic document to be stored securely while the digital signature and hash information are stored separately for re-signing and time-stamping, thereby outsourcing the re-signing process to a third party without transferring the original document.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the electronic document and its digital signature are stored together in the same archive, then the document can be retrieved and re-signed when needed, but this requires frequent retrieval and transfer of sensitive data which increases security risks and costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the archived data into two separate archives: one storing the electronic document and another storing the digital signature. This segmentation allows the document to remain securely archived while only the signature (not the sensitive document content) needs to be retrieved for re-signing operations, thereby reducing security risks associated with transferring sensitive data.
Solution Approach 2:
The digital signature is extracted from the electronic document and stored separately in a different archive. This extraction enables the signature to be independently managed and retrieved without needing to access or transfer the complete electronic document, reducing the security footprint during re-signing operations.
2Reliability
If the electronic document is frequently retrieved for re-signing, then the authenticity can be maintained, but this increases costs and workloads
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the storage into separate archives for documents and signatures, the system enables efficient re-signing operations where only the signature data (a small portion) needs to be retrieved and processed, rather than retrieving and handling the complete electronic document each time.
3Reliability
If the complete electronic document is transferred for re-signing, then the signature can be updated, but this increases transfer costs and security exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The digital signature is extracted and stored separately, enabling re-signing operations to proceed by transferring only the signature data rather than the complete electronic document. This extraction significantly reduces data transfer volumes, costs, and security exposure during periodic signature updates.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods and computer program products are disclosed for providing long-term authenticity proof of an electronic document having a digital signature, wherein the electronic document is digitally signed with a digital signature and the electronic document and its digital signature are archived in a data archive. Such methods, systems and computer program products may store the electronic document in a first data archive and store a hash value of the electronic document in a second data archive different from the first data archive. Long-term authenticity and integrity may be achieved by periodically re-signing, particularly time stamping the hash value in the second data archive.