Method and system for determining and maintaining trust in digital data files with certifiable time
First Claim
1. A system for maintaining trust in content of a digital data file, comprising:
- a trusted time source to provide a certifiable time for an unalterable time stamp, wherein said certifiable time confirms at least one of said digital data file'"'"'s access, creation, modification, receipt, or transmission;
a computing means having installed therein a system clock and an operating systems means for operating said computing means;
an application means running on said operating system means, wherein said application means provides an application programming interface (API) between said trusted time source and said application means, and wherein said application programming interface is adapted to select said trusted time source or said system clock in one or more instances, wherein each of said one or more instances corresponds to a request for a determination of a moment in time;
means for receiving said request to save said digital data file from a user;
means for determining said selection of said trusted time source to provide said determination of said moment in time;
first means for saving said digital data file at said moment in time;
means for retrieving from said trusted time source a date and a time corresponding to said moment in time, wherein said moment in time is substantially a current time of said trusted time source corresponding to receipt of said request;
first means for appending said date and said time retrieved from said trusted time source to said digital data file;
first means for signing said digital data file with said date and said time retrieved from said trusted time source appended thereto;
means for hashing said digital data file to produce a digest;
second means for signing said digest with a key to produce a certificate;
second means for appending said certificate to said digital data file;
second means for saving said digital data file with said certificate appended thereto; and
means for verifying trust in the content of said digital data file with said certificate appended thereto.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and methods for proving dates of digital data files, which are accessed, created, modified, received, or transmitted by a computer includes a trusted time source in a tamperproof environment, a first subsystem for saving the file at a moment in time, a second subsystem for retrieving from the trusted time source a date and a time corresponding to the moment in time, a third subsystem for appending the date and the time retrieved from the trusted time source to the saved file, a fourth subsystem for signing the saved file with the date and the time retrieved from the trusted time source appended thereto, a fifth subsystem for hashing the signed file to produce a digest, a sixth subsystem for signing the digest with a key to produce a certificate, a seventh subsystem for appending the certificate to the saved file, and an eighth subsystem for saving the file with the certificate appended thereto. The trusted time source is a real time clock, which is not resettable, is independent of any system clock of the computer, and is installed locally relative to the computer.
239 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A system for maintaining trust in content of a digital data file, comprising:
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a trusted time source to provide a certifiable time for an unalterable time stamp, wherein said certifiable time confirms at least one of said digital data file'"'"'s access, creation, modification, receipt, or transmission;
a computing means having installed therein a system clock and an operating systems means for operating said computing means;
an application means running on said operating system means, wherein said application means provides an application programming interface (API) between said trusted time source and said application means, and wherein said application programming interface is adapted to select said trusted time source or said system clock in one or more instances, wherein each of said one or more instances corresponds to a request for a determination of a moment in time;
means for receiving said request to save said digital data file from a user;
means for determining said selection of said trusted time source to provide said determination of said moment in time;
first means for saving said digital data file at said moment in time;
means for retrieving from said trusted time source a date and a time corresponding to said moment in time, wherein said moment in time is substantially a current time of said trusted time source corresponding to receipt of said request;
first means for appending said date and said time retrieved from said trusted time source to said digital data file;
first means for signing said digital data file with said date and said time retrieved from said trusted time source appended thereto;
means for hashing said digital data file to produce a digest;
second means for signing said digest with a key to produce a certificate;
second means for appending said certificate to said digital data file;
second means for saving said digital data file with said certificate appended thereto; and
means for verifying trust in the content of said digital data file with said certificate appended thereto. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for maintaining trust in content of a digital data file with a computing means having installed therein a system clock, an operating systems means for operating the computing means, and an application means running on said operating system means, comprising:
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providing, with a trusted time source, a certifiable time for an unalterable time stamp, wherein said certifiable time confirms at least one of said digital data file'"'"'s access, creation, modification, receipt, or transmission;
providing an application programming interface (API) between said trusted time source and said application means, and wherein said application programming interface is adapted to select said trusted time source or said system clock in one or more instances, wherein each of said one or more instances corresponds to a request for a determination of a moment in time;
receiving said request to save said digital data file from a user;
determining said selection of said trusted time source to provide said determination of said moment in time;
saving said digital data file at said moment in time;
retrieving from said trusted time source a date and a time corresponding to said moment in time, wherein said moment in time is substantially a current time of said trusted time source corresponding to receipt of said request;
appending said date and said time retrieved from said trusted time source to said digital data file;
signing said digital data file with said date and said time retrieved from said trusted time source appended thereto;
hashing said digital data file to produce a digest;
signing said digest with a key to produce a certificate;
appending said certificate to said digital data file;
saving said digital data file with said certificate appended thereto; and
verifying trust in the content of said digital data file with said certificate appended thereto. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification