Definition
Evidence integrity is the property that a piece of evidence is exactly as it was when the event occurred — unaltered, complete, and correctly attributed. With cryptographic proof, integrity is not a policy or a promise; it is a mathematical guarantee that any tampering becomes immediately detectable.
Proof infrastructure achieves evidence integrity by binding each event to a cryptographic commitment and signature. Changing even a single character in the underlying data produces a different hash, breaking the proof and revealing the alteration.
Why it matters
Evidence is only useful if it can be trusted to reflect reality. Evidence integrity is what separates verifiable proof from records that could have been quietly changed.
- Tampering is detectable, not merely discouraged by access controls.
- Evidence remains trustworthy even if the storing system is later compromised.
- It protects against both external attackers and insider modification.
- It gives courts, regulators, and partners confidence that records are authentic.
Real-world examples
Detecting a modified record
An after-the-fact change to a transaction record fails verification because the recomputed hash no longer matches the original commitment — the alteration is proven, not just suspected.
Surviving a breach
Even if an attacker gains write access to a database, previously issued proof artifacts cannot be silently rewritten without invalidating their signatures.
Establishing chain of custody
A sequence of linked proof artifacts demonstrates that evidence was handled in order and unchanged, supporting a defensible chain of custody.
Visual explanation
Frequently asked questions
Related concepts
Proof Artifact
A proof artifact is a compact, cryptographically signed record that commits to a business or AI event so it can be independently verified without exposing the underlying data.
Read articleCryptographic Verification
Cryptographic verification is the process of using hashes and digital signatures to confirm that evidence is authentic, unaltered, and produced by an authorized party.
Read articleIndependent Verification
Independent verification is the ability for any party to confirm that an event or claim is true using mathematics, without trusting the party that produced the evidence.
Read articleCompliance Evidence
Compliance evidence is proof that required controls, processes, and obligations were actually met — ideally in a form that can be independently verified.
Read articleRelated questions
Related comparisons
Where this applies
See it in action
Inspect a proof artifact and run independent verification in the live demo.