Transfer Bundle Integrity

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Transfer Bundle Integrity is the characteristic of a transfer bundle whose content and structure remain complete and unaltered except through authorized change.

A transfer bundle may contain:

• Artifacts
• Configuration files
• Machine Images
• Software packages
• Data files
• Manifests
• Metadata
• Digital signatures
• Checksums
• Certificates
• Transfer instructions
• Evidence

Transfer Bundle Integrity may require verification that:

• Every expected item is present
• No unauthorized item has been added
• No item has been removed
• No item has been modified
• The bundle structure remains valid
• The manifest corresponds to the bundle content
• The recorded identifiers and revisions remain unchanged
• Applicable cryptographic verification succeeds

Mechanisms used to establish or verify Transfer Bundle Integrity may include:

• Cryptographic hashes
• Digital signatures
• Message authentication codes
• Signed manifests
• File counts
• Size checks
• Structural validation
• Authenticated encryption

Transfer Bundle Integrity differs from authenticity:

• Transfer Bundle Integrity concerns completeness and freedom from unauthorized alteration
• Authenticity concerns whether the bundle or its content originates from the claimed source

A digital signature may provide evidence supporting both integrity and authenticity, but the concepts remain distinct.

integrity of a transfer bundle with respect to the completeness of its content and protection from unauthorized addition, removal, or modification

Dido Solutions, Inc. and Jackrabbit Consulting, Inc.

Transfer Bundle Integrity may be verified:

• Before export
• After creation of the transfer medium
• At an intermediate transfer point
• Before import
• After import

Successful integrity verification does not establish that the bundle:

• Is authorized for transfer
• Contains only permitted information
• Is free from malicious content
• Is authentic
• Is suitable for use in the destination environment

Separate controls establish those characteristics.

Integrity evidence should remain associated with the transfer bundle and the applicable transfer record.

A transfer process creates a signed manifest containing the identifier, revision, size, and cryptographic hash of every Artifact in a transfer bundle. The destination process verifies the signature and recalculates each hash before importing the bundle. Matching results provide evidence of Transfer Bundle Integrity.