A blockchain approach to digital archiving: digital signature certification chain preservation
ISSN: 0956-5698
Article publication date: 25 February 2020
Issue publication date: 4 December 2020
Abstract
Purpose
The short lifespan of digital signatures presents a challenge to the long-term preservation of digitally signed records. It can undermine attempts to presume, verify or assess their authenticity. This paper aims to investigate the challenges of the expiration of digital signatures in the context of digital archiving.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper identifies requirements for the long-term preservation of digitally signed records and compares them with the existing approaches. The characteristics, operational procedures and requirements of the technologies used for digital signatures are combined with the archival requirements to design a new model.
Findings
The paper proposes a new model of a blockchain-based system, which can be combined with any digital archive to assist the process of long-term preservation of digitally signed records.
Practical implications
The proposed model offers a new alternative to the current practice in the long-term preservation of digitally signed records, such as periodic resigning procedures or periodic wrapping of digitally signed records with archival timestamps.
Originality/value
The proposed TrustChain 2.0 model is based on previous research conducted as part of the InterPARES Trust project. It builds on TrustChain 1.0 by including digital signature certificate chain validity information in a blockchain thus avoiding the issues concerning records confidentiality and privacy information disclosure. The paper contributes not only to the development of archival science but also shows archival institutions on how to approach long-term preservation of digitally signed records.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research is a continuation of the research done as part of the InterPARES Trust project’s study “Model for Preservation of Trustworthiness of the Digitally Signed, Timestamped and/or Sealed Digital Records (TRUSTER Preservation Model) (EU31)”, which resulted with the TrustChain 1.0 model. The authors would like to thank co-researchers on that study: Göran Almgren (Enigio Time AB, Stockholm), Hans Almgren (Enigio Time AB, Stockholm), Natasha Khramtsovsky (Electronic Office Systems LLC, Moscow), Victoria Lemieux (University of British Columbia, Vancouver), Željko Mikić (Teched Consulting Services Ltd., Croatia) and Elis Missoni (Financial Agency – FINA, Croatia). The authors would also like to acknowledge the involvement of graduate research assistants from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Zagreb on that study: Andro Babić, Nikola Bonić, Hrvoje Brzica, Magdalena Kuleš, Anabela Lendić, Ksenija Lončarić, Ivan Slade Šilović, Ana Stanković, and Ira Volarević. Finally, the authors would also like to thank Niklas Fröling (Signicat AB, Stockholm) for the last-minute fact-checking.
Citation
Bralić, V., Stančić, H. and Stengård, M. (2020), "A blockchain approach to digital archiving: digital signature certification chain preservation", Records Management Journal, Vol. 30 No. 3, pp. 345-362. https://doi.org/10.1108/RMJ-08-2019-0043
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited