Technique for digitally notarizing a collection of data streams

A system for digitally notarizing a collection comprising a plurality of data streams, comprising:

• means for computing a hash value over each of the plurality of data streams, wherein each data stream is created by a different application processing component;
• means for combining each hash value with a unique identifier of the application processing component which created the data stream for which the hash value was computed, thereby creating a combination data block;
• means for hashing the combination data block;
• means for digitally signing the hashed combination data block with a private cryptographic key, wherein the private cryptographic key and a public cryptographic key which is cryptographically associated therewith represent a digital notary;
• and
• means for providing the digitally signed hashed combination data block, along with the combination data block, as the digital notarization for the collection of data streams, wherein the digital notarization cryptographically seals contents of the collection of data streams.

A method of digitally notarizing a collection comprising a plurality of data streams, comprising steps of

• computing a hash value over each of the plurality of data streams, wherein each data stream is created by a different application processing component,
• combining each hash value with a unique identifier of the application processing component which created the data stream for which the hash value was computed, thereby creating a combination data block;
• hashing the combination data block;
• digitally signing the hashed combination data block with a private cryptographic key, wherein the private cryptographic key and a public cryptographic key which is cryptographically associated therewith represent a digital notary;
• and
• providing the digitally signed hashed combination data block, along with the combination data block, as the digital notarization for the collection of data streams, wherein the digital notarization cryptographically seals contents of the collection of data streams.

A digitally notarized collection of data streams, comprising:

• a plurality of data streams in the collection, wherein each data stream is created by a different application processing component;
• and
• a digital notarization of the collection, created by the steps of:
• computing a hash value over each of each of the plurality of data streams;
• combining each hash value with a unique identifier of the application processing component which created the data stream for which the hash value was computed, thereby creating a combination data block;
• hashing the combination data block;
• digitally signing the hashed combination data block with a private cryptographic key, wherein the private cryptographic key and a public cryptographic key which is cryptographically associated therewith represent a digital notary;
• and
• providing the digitally signed hashed combination data block, along with the combination data block, as the digital notarization for the collection of data streams, wherein the digital notarization cryptographically seals contents of the collection of data streams.

A method of doing business using digitally notarized data streams, comprising steps of:

• digitally notarizing a collection comprising a plurality of data streams, further comprising steps of:
• computing a hash value over each of the plurality of data streams, wherein each data stream is created by a different application processing component;
• combining each hash value with a unique identifier of the application processing component which created the data stream for which the hash value was computed, thereby creating a combination data block;
• hashing the combination data block;
• digitally signing the hashed combination data block with a private cryptographic key, wherein the private cryptographic key and a public cryptographic key which is cryptographically associated therewith represent a digital notary;
• and
• providing the digitally signed hashed combination data block, along with the combination data block, as the digital notarization for the collection of data streams;
• and
• verifying authenticity of the digitally notarized collection of data streams, by a receiver of the digital notarization, further comprising:
• using the public cryptographic key of the digital notary to decrypt the digitally signed hashed combination data block, yielding a new version of the hashed combination data block and a new version of the combination data block;
• computing a new hash over the new version of the combination data block;
• and
• determining whether the new hash is identical to the new version of the hashed combination data block, and if so, concluding that the data streams in the collection have not been altered.