What is the ProofMark System?

The ProofMark System is a timestamping server that you can administer yourself, that creates, manages and validates ProofMarks. Requesting applications submit ProofMark requests by hashing the document needing a ProofMark, and submitting this hash (a SHA 256 message digest) to the server. The system produces registered ProofMark and sends it back to the requesting application for archival or appending to the original file. The ProofMark Server adds the original hash to a stack of hashes processed during the same time interval to create an auditable digest log (or digital chain of evidence) for the interval. The ProofMark System later validates ProofMarks by checking them for internal cryptographic consistency and against this digital chain of evidence (see blow for more detail).