Tamper-Evident Backups

BenchVault cannot prove what happened to the live LabArchives notebook after a backup is made. It can, however, make later changes to the local backup copy visible.

Local Integrity Seal

For each successful backup, BenchVault records SHA-256 fingerprints for protected local files in integrity_manifest.json. When the viewer opens a backup, it recomputes fingerprints and warns if protected files no longer match the recorded manifest.

This does not make a local folder impossible to alter. It makes alteration detectable to the viewer.

Certify Copy

The optional Certify Copy action prepares a witness email containing the backup copy’s fingerprint details. Sending that email to an institutional colleague or supervisor creates an outside timestamped record for the local copy.

Future evidence-witness routes can add stronger external anchoring, such as an institutional mailbox, immutable file server, timestamping service, or other append-only record.