[1501] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
Cryptographic Document Storage
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Cryptography)
Tue Sep 16 13:51:23 1997
From: Cryptography <cryptography@lists.ecosystems.net>
To: cryptography@c2.net
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 1997 00:22:15 -0700
I've come to the decision that all records for myself and my businesses
shall be electronic only. I've decided that anything deemed important
enough to keep in hard copy is also confidential enough to forbid it.
I am curious the legal status of electronic document storage --
especially for important legal and financial documents. And regardless
of current legal status, what could be considered best practice (with
future legal status in mind).
Specifically I can envision four levels of document storage (excluding
encryption).
* unsigned
* signed
* signed w/ notary/timestamp
* signed w/ notary/timestamp from hardcopy
It's the last two I am unsure about. Are there any standards regarding
digital notarization?
How I envisioned a Digital Notary would operate is an unbiased and
authorized party would:
a) accept an electronic (and potentially encrypted) document, add a
timestamp and sign.
-- or --
b) validate the authenticity of a hardcopy document, convert to
electronic document, timestamp and sign.
I did find some invaluable information at http://www.surety.com, however
I am not sure their approach isn't proprietary (I would prefer an
Internet standard and open architecture), and would like an unbiased
opinion.
Thanks,
Matt
Matthew James Gering
mgering@ecosystems.net
