A year ago, I created a backup of the website and received an archive containing the backup.
Now we need to demonstrate (not just to ourselves, of course) that the website was indeed ready a year ago, and that the backup clearly reflects its state at that time.
Please answer the following questions:
1. Is there a way to authenticate the backup, backup copy of the website, and/or the .tar.gz archive to prove that it was created on the specific day I claim, and that it hasn't been tampered with?
2. How difficult would it be to manipulate the date of creation for the website backup, backup copy, or archive?
3. What methods can be used to verify the existence of the website on the virtual hosting server of the registrar on a specific date from a year ago?
4. Who would be qualified to conduct an examination of the backup copy of the website from a year ago?
1. It is unlikely.
2. Extremely simple.
3. Unless it is archived on the web.
Typically, backups are stored on a blank and sent via mail to oneself.
If the envelope remains unopened, then it can be considered as proof of the backup's date.
To modify the date, use the command "touch -m -t 09082000 file," where 09 represents the month, 08 represents the day, 20 represents the hour, and 00 represents the minute.
Please note that altering the date in this manner can be useful for various purposes, such as organizing files or simulating specific time frames for testing. However, it's important to use this capability responsibly and ensure that it aligns with the intended use case.
In theory, if the domain was not in existence prior to the site creation, it may be feasible to determine the date of its inclusion in the index through Google.
technique relies on the assumption that the domain was not previously registered or indexed by Google. Additionally, it's important to recognize that this method may not provide an exact date but rather an approximation based on when the site was first crawled and indexed by Google's search engine.
Authenticating a backup/backup copy/archive:
There are a few methods, but none of them may be foolproof. If cryptographic hashes (e.g., MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256) of the backup files were securely stored at the time of backup creation, you could use these to prove that the backup has not been altered since these hashes were made. Also, file metadata like its created and modified timestamp may also provide some support, but note that these can be changed relatively easily.
To prove a file was created at a certain time, something like a Blockchain Timestamp might be considered, but this would need to have been implemented when you made the backup. This strategy involves creating a hash of the file's content and adding it to a public blockchain, which gives a verifiable and tamper-proof timestamp.
Manipulating the date of creation:
It's relatively simple for someone with the appropriate technical knowledge to manipulate the creation date of a file. This can usually be done with in-built functions within operating systems or by using third-party tools. Therefore the date and time metadata of a file cannot be solely relied upon for authentication purposes.
Verifying existence of the website on a specific date:
If the web hosting provider keeps logs, including access logs, these could help demonstrate that the website existed and was active at a certain time. Else, you might check a web archiving service like the Wayback Machine (though entry must have been made at the time). Another method may be the use of digital certificates - if the site used an SSL certificate, the issuing authority could potentially provide confirmation of its existence at a certain date, although it will not confirm the state of the website content.
Conducting an examination:
A professional with experience in digital forensics and cybersecurity would be most qualified to conduct such an examination. Ideally, they would have a background in web technologies and a strong understanding of web hosting environments. Their job would be to compare the state of the recovered website with the alleged state at the time of the backup, probably by comparing files, timestamps, website behavior, and other data available from the backup or the live environment.
Just remember that the most foolproof way to validate the creation date and authenticity of a backup made in the past is to have taken appropriate steps at the time of creation to secure such proof, such as a third-party digital timestamping or cryptographic signing service.
let's elaborate on these points.
Authenticating a Backup:
Further to my previous comments, Proof of Work concepts can provide an alternate but complex approach. PoW involves computational effort that's easy to verify but hard to forge due to the time, expense, and resources necessary to perform. This requires that the system was originally set up to include a PoW protocol. However, this level of security is typically overkill for most applications.
Manipulating Creation Date:
This is typically done via system calls in the OS that directly allow you to alter a file's metadata. It's worth mentioning that while it's easy to change these dates, it's nearly impossible to do so without leaving traces, particularly if the system was monitored or logged.
Verifying Existence of the Website:
DNS records are another potential avenue to explore for verifying a website's existence at a past date. DNS records are gradually propagated and updated across the internet's entire DNS system, leaving traces that can be used as proof. Additionally, you might find proof in email correspondence, business records, marketing materials, screenshots, social media posts, etc.
Who Would Be Qualified:
In addition to what I mentioned, digital archival specialists, cybersecurity experts, and IT auditors often have the skills and experience to verify the integrity of backups and verify related information.
Remember, the more corroborating pieces of evidence you can collect from separate sources, the stronger your claim to authenticity will be. Identifying all these various pieces and putting them together to verify the backup would be the job of one or more experts from the fields mentioned above.
let's dive deeper:
Authenticating a Backup:
Beyond the methods previously stated, another layer of validation could be included in the backup process by using a witness or a third-party service to authenticate the creation time and content of the backup. While this does not retrospectively validate your previous backup, it is a good practice for the future.
In some cases, an application or OS can offer logs that detail when certain activities, including data backup, occurred. If these logs were running at the time of backup, and kept intact, they could contribute to the validation process.
Manipulating Creation Date:
The ease or difficulty of modifying a creation date can be somewhat platform-dependent, but with the right tools and permissions, it is typically achievable. Making these changes in a way that leaves no trace is possible, but it's generally beyond the skills of an average user.
Developers familiar with command-line operations can manipulate file timestamps using touch, debug, or other utilities. An adversary could potentially use these skills in an illicit attempt to change file timestamps, misleading a subsequent investigation. These are signs for experts to watch out for in any ensuing forensic analysis.
Verifying Existence of the Website:
Internet service providers and traffic analytics services might also hold some information about the state of a website at a certain point in time.
Communication related to the website's operation, like emails with customers or suppliers, invoices for services, press, or marketing materials, may all contain tangential evidence of the website's state at a given time.
Who Would Be Qualified:
In addition to digital forensics professionals, individuals with a strong background in system administration and a profound understanding of the underlying technologies used in website development could be very capable of deducing the website's state one year ago from a present backup.
Also, in the legal realm, attorneys who specialize in digital rights and IT law might help structure the evidence and refine the argument to stand up in a court or other judicial setting.