A framework for auditable, paper-equivalent electronic forms using data logging, secure access controls, and electronic certificates

The Paper Equivalent Forms framework provides equivalent or superior authenticity, nonrepudiation, access control, and integrity than that of paper-based records. Data input by the user and authorship information are logged internally and also verified by a third-party by providing trusted digital "approvals" certifying that a particular change has been made. These measures provide the means to verify the authenticity of the information stored within the forms and whether the data has been tampered with or not. A series of analysis on the system's security, performance, and load capabilities were performed. This research attempts to prove that the benefits obtained by the additional security and reliability measures outweigh the impact they have on the system's performance. Furthermore, time-consuming stages in the communication protocol were identified and an improved version of the framework was developed, in which the performance of the system is greatly improved.