Notarial timestamps savings in logs management via Merkle trees and Key Derivation Functions

TL;DR

This paper proposes a cryptographic schema using Merkle trees and Key Derivation Functions to improve log timestamping efficiency and security, reducing reliance on third-party services for ISPs.

Contribution

It introduces a novel cryptographic approach for log timestamping that minimizes third-party dependency and enhances security in log management.

Findings

Estimated cost savings for ISPs of different sizes.

Enhanced security properties of the proposed schema.

Reduction in third-party timestamping reliance.

Abstract

Nowadays log files handling imposes to ISPs (intended in their widest scope) strict normative duties apart from common technological issues. This work analyses how retention time policies and timestamping are deeply interlinked from the point of view of service providers, possibly leading to costs rise. A new schema is proposed trying to mitigate the need for third-party suppliers, enforcing cryptographic primitives well established in other fields of Information Technology but perhaps not yet widespread in logs management. The foundations of timestamping are recapped, and properties of cryptographic primitives introduced as a natural way to bypass legacy schema inefficiency and as an extra level of protection: these choices are justified by savings estimation (with regard to different ISP magnitudes) and by some basic security considerations.