untampered

Untampered is an adjective meaning not altered, interfered with, or modified from its original state. It is used to describe data, documents, evidence, or products that have not been changed since their creation or issuance. The term is often paired with phrases like “untampered with” to indicate that no unauthorized modification has occurred.

In information security and data management, untampered data implies integrity. Techniques to support untampering include cryptographic hashes, digital signatures, and secure audit trails. A hash value can reveal any alteration, while a digital signature provides proof of origin and integrity. Physical and digital media may also employ tamper-evident seals or packaging to indicate whether a product has been opened or damaged after leaving the source.

In legal and forensic contexts, untampered evidence is essential for admissibility. Maintaining a clear chain of custody, secure storage, and careful documentation helps protect against tampering and supports authenticity and reliability of the evidence.

In consumer and enterprise settings, marketing may advertise products or services as untampered or with untampered integrity, though such claims depend on the effectiveness of the underlying security or sealing technologies, and regulators may require verifiable methods to substantiate them.

Related concepts include tamper-evident, tamper-proof, data integrity, authenticity, and provenance.