Certificate Option for Audit Trails

What is the purpose of a certificate?

Let’s imagine you’re making entries that are recorded in a “log” – a history – and each time-stamped line is saved in a CSV file (a simple Excel file) or online on a low-code backup system like the one we offer. Each line is, in fact, proof for your client that you’ve done the “job”.

But here’s the thing: it is entirely possible to modify these records manually! Of course, you are honest, but your client believes you have made a mistake and that your file proves nothing at all, and accuses you of not doing the work.

A certificate proves that the file or record has not been tampered with since its creation. It is issued by a ‘trusted third party’ (in this case, Productivix). And it is possible to verify that each certified file or record has not been altered, independently of the issuer.

Here is a solution from Productivix that will ensure everyone agrees on the validity of the data: how does it work?

• When the line is saved, our feature generates a certificate at the end of the line based on the characters in that line
• A single change to the data renders the certificate invalid.
• Online, a page for verifying the line and its certificate is made available to everyone to check that the data entrusted has not been tampered with: the result is either ‘good’ or ‘bad’.