Marking Information

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When information is recovered from an intruder's system, it will be necessary to be able to identify that the information came from your site. Identification of digital information requires that what makes it uniquely identifiable has to be part of the data. In some cases, it can be the data themselves , in other cases it may need to be an imbedded signature.

Visible Signatures

Visible signatures are information which are added to the data, as part of the data, which identifies the data. Including visible contact information in files that are likely targets of hackers will increase the likelihood that you will be contacted if the files are found on other systems. There have been many cases where hackers have been apprehended with password files and other information where the origin of the files could not be determined, so no one was able to notify the owners of the information that they had been compromised or to get their assistance in supplying evidence. The password is the most common file to be taken by hackers so that they can crack the passwords on another machine.

Imbedded Signature

An imbedded signature is created by placing data within the information in a manner in which they are not visible in a casual inspection. It is often used for the protection of creative material, by imbedding copyright notices. There are a number of methods which can be used to imbed signatures, including encryption which can be used to make the information presented unintelligible except to those who have the decryption key.

Digital Signatures

Digitally signing the evidence adds a level of credibility to the evidence when it comes to trial. The digital signature freezes the information at a point in time with a high level of assurance that it has not be altered . This credibility greatly increases the likelihood that the evidence will be admitted in a court of law.

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