Demonstrate when transactions took place or documents were archived with a timestamp solution
Organizations moving to paperless exchanges — whether for internal communications or relationships with partners or customers — may be required to demonstrate that certain transactions or actions occurred before a given date and time.
Using a timestamp token associated with the document provides an element of proof of a digital transaction’s date and age. This includes a signed piece of data with the following elements:
- A data and time (UTC time)
- A hash value computed using a hash function (e.g. SHA 1 or SHA 256)
- An identifier of the time-stamping unit (TSU) which produced the timestamp token
How does it work?
The client sends a timestamp request to the platform, which determines a signatory entity, takes a very precise reading of the date and time, signs and returns this information. The protocol used for these communications is commonly called a time stamping protocol (TSP), which is explained in the RFC 3161 standard.
The signature of the responses is done using cryptographic equipment, which must have an interface compliant with the PKCS#11 standard.
The administration of the service is carried out via a graphical interface, allowing authorized operators to manage the entities required to provide the TSP service.
Atos, a global leader in digital transformation and digital security, provides a solution called Metatime to securely generate timestamp tokens. Metatime is sold as-a-service or as a standalone product.
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Administration
IDnomic Metatime allows you the freedom to define the parameters of your timestamping policies.
Flexibility
From precisely dating electronic transactions to archiving, timestamp tokens may be used in various contexts.
Expertise
We have a unique body of expertise and an in-depth understanding of corporate security technologies.
Compliance
Trusted infrastructure with the eIDAS regulation to build confidence in your electronic transactions.
System requirements
Front-office and back-office servers
- Linux Platform (e.g. RedHat or SuSE)
- Open source international components delivered with Metatime: Apache, Open SSL, PostgreSQL and PHP
HSM
- Any HSM with PKCS#11 interface for signing operations, including Trustway Crypt2pay and Trustway Proteccio®
- Key pair generation with public key export
Time reference
- Metatime provides a choice between GPS reference and/or DCF 77 reference
Norms and standards
- IETF RFC 3161
- ETSI TS 101 861 (a profile of RFC 3161)
- X.509 v3 or RFC 5280 for TSU certificates
- PKCS#11 for the interface with the HSM
- HTTP or HTTPS for the delivery of timestamp tokens
- HTTPS for administration
Related resources and news
Factsheet
Metatime: A time-stamping service
Organizations moving to paperless exchanges may need to demonstrate exactly when certain transactions or actions occurred. Metatime provides precise proof of a digital transaction’s date and age.
Factsheet
IDnomic Sign: A reliable signature creating and verifying secure transactions
As organizations move to paperless transactions, it is necessary to electronically sign documents to guarantee their integrity and produce proof of acceptance by the signer. The signature must be verified strictly so as to detect any possible cause for invalidity.
