{"id":12581,"date":"2026-03-12T12:40:21","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T11:40:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/evidency.io\/notions-probatoires-preuve-numerique\/"},"modified":"2026-09-27T12:37:50","modified_gmt":"2026-09-27T10:37:50","slug":"evidentiary-concepts-digital-evidence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/evidency.io\/en\/evidentiary-concepts-digital-evidence\/","title":{"rendered":"Evidentiary concepts: definitions of key terms"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is integrity?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The integrity of data or a document refers to the absence of alteration: the content presented must be identical to the content that was originally created or stored<\/strong>. In the context of electronic records, integrity is an explicit condition for the record to have the same evidential weight as a paper document (the issue extends beyond admissibility to the probative value of the evidence).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From a technical perspective, integrity is often demonstrated through mechanisms such as cryptographic hashing<\/a>, digital sealing or consistent event logs<\/strong>. The concept nevertheless remains a legal one: the objective is to establish that the content has not been modified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is authenticity?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Authenticity concerns origin and attribution<\/strong>: the ability to link a document, action or statement to a specific person (natural or legal) or to an identified system. In relation to electronic records, the person from whom the record originates must be duly identified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where authenticity relies on an electronic signature<\/strong>, the signature must be created by a reliable identification process ensuring its link with the document, with a presumption of reliability where the conditions set out by decree are satisfied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authenticity may also be established through an electronic seal<\/a>. An electronic seal<\/strong> links a document to an organisation (rather than to a natural person) and confirms the document\u2019s integrity through cryptographic mechanisms comparable to those used for electronic signatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is traceability?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Traceability <\/strong>is the ability to reconstruct, in a clear and verifiable manner, the operations performed on data or a document (creation, deposit, modification, consultation, export or deletion), together with their parameters: who performed the action, what was done, when it occurred and within which application environment. It generally relies on event logs, transaction identifiers, timestamps and retention rules<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In practice, traceability does not automatically amount to proof. It provides contextual and consistency elements that must be considered together with integrity and authenticity in order to form a coherent evidential narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the chain of custody?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The chain of custody designates the set of elements that explain, without interruption, how an item of evidence was collected, transferred, stored, protected and ultimately produced<\/strong>. The objective is to limit a common line of challenge: \u201cthe evidence may have been altered\u201d or \u201cit cannot be linked to its origin\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In practical terms, a documented chain of custody describes the environments, access rights, transfers, hashes, possible sealing mechanisms and storage conditions<\/strong>, in order to support the integrity required for an electronic record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is an evidence file?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

An evidence file is a structured set of documents and metadata intended to demonstrate a fact, a date, an origin or the performance of an obligation<\/strong>. It typically brings together:<\/p>\n\n\n\n