What is a Digital Timestamp? A Digital Timestamp from Keyfusion resolves the when issues of an electronic transaction. A timestamp is a cryptographically unforgeable digital attestation that a transaction occurred at a particular time. Trust is an inherent part of a PKI. However, trust is not blind faith. The goal in a PKI is verifiable trust. Consequently, a PKI uses digital certificates to verifiably associate a person with a specific key pair. In turn, timestamping plays a complementary and critical role in a PKI by substantiating the validity of an electronic transaction. The Keyfusion Transaction server secures digital time stamps for all transactions. The function of a secure, reliable time stamp is to certify the date and time at which a transaction occurred. Keyfusion's TimeStamp accomplishes this through the ingenious (and patented) use of a class of cryptographic fusion cipher functions called one-way hash functions. These functions produce a short, fixed-length string of bits, referred to as hash values that uniquely represent a single piece of digital data that cannot be changed or altered. One-way hash functions are unique in the sense that two different pieces of data-when run through a one-way hash function-can never create the same hash value. One-way hash functions produce results so unique that changing a single bit in the original piece of digital data changes the calculated hash value completely. This is used for both digital time stamps and digital signatures. The function of a secure, reliable digital time stamp service is to certify the exact date and time at which a transaction occurred. Keyfusion's TimeStamp creates a secure and fail safe method of logging transaction times, which are printed in the digital receipt. These digital time stamps offer a level of security for time sensitive transactions such as a b2b bid or stock trade. The server then sends the user a notary record (binary record in proprietary format). Later, when the user needs to authenticate the document, the local software presents the stored document and cryptographic information from its emailed notary record. This is then compared with the actual timestamp and digital signature stored in the Keyfusion registry. If they match, then both the document time of creation (when) and content (what) are unassailably verified. key.