comprent

Comprent is a term used in computer science to denote a compact, cryptographically verifiable imprint embedded in digital artifacts to record their provenance and integrity. A comprent typically consists of a cryptographic hash of the artifact, a digital signature from a trusted issuer, and accompanying metadata such as the creator, creation time, version, and component lineage. The imprint is designed to be tamper-evident and portable across formats and ecosystems.

Mechanism and formats: Comprints can be embedded in file headers or metadata blocks, or stored externally in a registry or distributed ledger. Validation involves recomputing the hash, verifying the signature against a trusted public key, and resolving the artifact’s provenance graph.

Applications: In software supply chains, comprints support integrity checks and provenance tracing; in digital publishing and archives they help verify authenticity; in IoT and firmware, they provide attestation on-device. They are often used in conjunction with software bill of materials (SBOM) and provenance standards.

Relation to other concepts: A comprent is distinct from a simple checksum; it emphasizes provenance and trust anchors. It is compatible with standards for digital signatures, SBOMs, and distributed registries; several experimental implementations exist in industry coalitions though no single universal standard had emerged as of the mid-2020s.

See also: software bill of materials, digital signature, cryptographic hash, provenance, trusted registry.