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USPS Electronic Postmark (EPM) protects the integrity
of your electronic data through the use of auditable time stamps,
digital signatures and hash codes. Through the USPS EPM web-based
service, any third-party can verify the authenticity of electronic
content. The EPM provides evidence to support non-repudiation of
electronic transactions. The EPM is designed to deter and detect
any fraudulent tampering or altering of electronic data.
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Hash
Codes Prove WHAT
Digital Certificates Prove WHO
Digital Signatures Proves
WHO did WHAT
Time Stamps Prove
WHAT and WHEN
Read
a WHITE
PAPER on how
Authentidate® & EPM®
provide legal non-repudiation
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Key
Features:
- Content authentication
web-based service (based upon American Bar Association PKI Guidelines)
proves document authenticity and timestamp accuracy to detect and prevent
fraud.
- Integrates easily
into existing applications with standard-based interfaces.
- Verify options
include; local (self contained) & centralized (Internet based).
- Verification is
free.
- 128 Bit SSL encryption
insuring privacy and security of communications.
- Data stays private.
Service never has access to your content and requires no modification
or transmission of content. (only a hash code of the file is logged
as evidence of authenticity.)
Security
Security experts agree that trusted timestamps and trusted third party
archival of signatures and receipts are necessary to ensure long term
non-repudiation.
The USPS EPM service derives
trusted timestamps from the National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST), the official US source of time for commerce. These timestamps
are auditable such that for each timestamp issued, the system is able
to produce upon demand the bracketing time synchronization events starting
from NIST and following a secure chain of custody through any intermediary
clocks. Additionally, to ensure completeness and enable non-repudiation,
the USPS EPM system stores evidence of electronic data in its secure data
center for seven years.
Reasons
For Using Electronic Postmark:
Trust and
Privacy
- Nationwide reach
and trust
- Correspondence
handled by USPS subject to confidentiality statutes and regulations.
- Neutral third party
with universal public service mandate
- Federally imposed
regulations on USPS employees – enhancing customer confidence
Legality &
Longevity
- History of providing
postmarks with legal significance
- Long-lived statutory
purpose “to bind the nation together through the… correspondence
of the people” 39 U.S.C. §101.
Legal Environment
- 18 U.S.C. §1343
Wire Fraud
- 18 U.S.C. §2701
Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA)
- 18 U.S.C. §2510
regarding electronic communications. Definitions (17)Electronic storage
means - (A) any temporary, intermediate storage of a wire or electronic
communication incident to the electronic transmission thereof; and (B)
any storage of such communication by an electronic communication service
for purposes of backup protection of such communication.
- 18 U.S.C. §2710
regarding unlawful access to stored electronic communications
- 18 U.S.C. §1028,
Fraud and related activity in connection with identification documents
and information
- 18 U.S.C. §1029,
Fraud and related activity in connection with access devices
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