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Add Unix timestamps to exports and clarify format in README
Changes:
- Modified export format to include Unix timestamp for hash reproducibility
- Each note now shows: "Unix Timestamp: `{timestamp}` (for hash verification)"
- This allows independent verification using: SHA256("{timestamp}:{content}")
- Updated README.md with comprehensive timestamp format documentation:
- Clarified that timestamps are Unix epoch (seconds since 1970-01-01 UTC) as float
- Added example: 1702345678.123456
- Documented exact hash input format: "{timestamp}:{content}"
- Added "Hash Verification (Manual)" section with step-by-step verification instructions
- Included examples using Python and command-line tools
- Updated Core Features table with timestamp format details
- Enhanced Layer 1 integrity documentation with concrete examples
These changes ensure hash reproducibility from exported markdown files,
critical for forensic chain of custody and independent verification.
This commit is contained in:
43
README.md
43
README.md
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ trace "IR team gained shell access. Initial persistence checks running."
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trace "Observed outbound connection to 192.168.1.55 on port 80. #suspicious #network"
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```
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**System Integrity Chain:** Each command-line note is immediately stamped, concatenated with its content, and hashed using SHA256 before storage. This ensures a non-repudiable log entry.
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**System Integrity Chain:** Each command-line note is immediately stamped with a Unix epoch timestamp (seconds since 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC as float, e.g., `1702345678.123456`), concatenated with its content in the format `"{timestamp}:{content}"`, and hashed using SHA256 before storage. This ensures a non-repudiable log entry with forensically tamper-evident timestamps.
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## CLI Command Reference
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@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ After this, you can log with just: `t "Your note here"`
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| Feature | Description | Operational Impact |
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| :--- | :--- | :--- |
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| **Integrity Hashing** | SHA256 applied to every log entry (content + timestamp). | **Guaranteed log integrity.** No modification possible post-entry. |
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| **Integrity Hashing** | SHA256 applied to every log entry using format `"{unix_timestamp}:{content}"`. Timestamp is Unix epoch as float (e.g., `1702345678.123456`). | **Guaranteed log integrity.** No modification possible post-entry. Timestamps are forensically tamper-evident with full float precision. |
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| **GPG Signing** | Optional PGP/GPG signature applied to notes. | **Non-repudiation** for formal evidence handling. |
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| **IOC Extraction** | Automatic parsing of IPv4, FQDNs, URLs, hashes, and email addresses. | **Immediate intelligence gathering** from raw text. |
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| **Tag System** | Supports `#hashtags` for classification and filtering. | **Efficient triage** of large log sets. |
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@@ -208,20 +208,33 @@ After this, you can log with just: `t "Your note here"`
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### Layer 1: Note-Level Integrity (Always Active)
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**Process:**
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1. **Timestamp Generation** - Precise Unix timestamp captured at note creation
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2. **Content Hashing** - SHA256 hash computed from `timestamp:content`
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1. **Timestamp Generation** - Precise Unix epoch timestamp (float) captured at note creation
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- Format: Seconds since 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC (e.g., `1702345678.123456`)
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- Full float precision preserved for forensic tamper-evidence
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2. **Content Hashing** - SHA256 hash computed from `"{timestamp}:{content}"`
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3. **Optional Signature** - Hash is signed with investigator's GPG private key
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**Mathematical Representation:**
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```
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hash = SHA256(timestamp + ":" + content)
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timestamp = Unix epoch time as float (e.g., 1702345678.123456)
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hash_input = "{timestamp}:{content}"
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hash = SHA256(hash_input)
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signature = GPG_Sign(hash, private_key)
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```
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**Example:**
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```
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Content: "Suspicious process detected"
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Timestamp: 1702345678.123456
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Hash input: "1702345678.123456:Suspicious process detected"
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Hash: SHA256 of above = a3f5b2c8d9e1f4a7b6c3d8e2f5a9b4c7d1e6f3a8b5c2d9e4f7a1b8c6d3e0f5a2
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```
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**Security Properties:**
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- **Temporal Integrity**: Timestamp is cryptographically bound to content (cannot backdate notes)
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- **Tamper Detection**: Any modification to content or timestamp invalidates the hash
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- **Non-Repudiation**: GPG signature proves who created the note (if signing enabled)
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- **Hash Reproducibility**: Exported markdown includes Unix timestamp for independent verification
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- **Efficient Storage**: Signing only the hash (64 hex chars) instead of full content
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### Layer 2: Export-Level Integrity (On Demand)
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@@ -328,6 +341,26 @@ Individual note signatures are embedded in the markdown export. To verify a spec
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- The GPG signature proves who created that hash
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- Together: Proves this specific content was created by this investigator at this time
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**Hash Verification (Manual):**
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To independently verify a note's hash from the markdown export:
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1. Locate the note in the export file and extract:
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- Unix Timestamp (e.g., `1702345678.123456`)
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- Content (e.g., `"Suspicious process detected"`)
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- Claimed Hash (e.g., `a3f5b2c8...`)
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2. Recompute the hash:
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```bash
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# Using Python
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python3 -c "import hashlib; print(hashlib.sha256(b'1702345678.123456:Suspicious process detected').hexdigest())"
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# Using command-line tools
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echo -n "1702345678.123456:Suspicious process detected" | sha256sum
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```
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3. Compare the computed hash with the claimed hash - they must match exactly
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### Cryptographic Trust Model
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```
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