Network Working Group                                          K. Singh
Internet-Draft                                 Apex Intelligence Empire
Intended status: Standards Track                           May 16, 2026
Expires: November 17, 2026




      Proof of Stateful Integrity (PSI) for Vulnerable Populations
                       draft-singh-apex-psi-04-00


Abstract


   This document specifies the PSI-04 Protocol, a cryptographic
   framework for establishing the Proof of Stateful Integrity (PSI)
   for data involving vulnerable subjects (e.g., Clinical Trial
   participants, NDIS recipients, and Aged Care residents).  The
   protocol mandates a verifiable "Chain of State" that prevents
   post-hoc data manipulation by ensuring the final submission is
   mathematically anchored to the point of inception.  PSI-04 utilizes
   Ed25519 signatures canonicalized via RFC 8785 and verified through
   a 3-node Multi-Party Computation (MPC) consensus mechanism.


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1.  Introduction


   In critical human-centric sectors like Pharmaceuticals and
   Disability Support (NDIS), current "stateless" auditing relies on
   trust and retrospective reviews.  PSI-04 introduces a technical
   mandate for Stateful Integrity, where every state-transition of a
   data asset--from laboratory capture to regulatory filing--is
   cryptographically locked.  This ensures that corporate entities
   cannot "scrub" or alter data without breaking the mathematical
   integrity proof.


2.  Terminology


   PSI (Proof of Stateful Integrity): A mathematical proof that a
   data asset has maintained an authorized state-chain.


   Vulnerable Population: Subjects protected under the PSI-04 mandate
   (NDIS, Clinical Trials).


   Apex Lattice: The cross-node mesh used for multi-party
   authentication and consensus.


   Inception-Lock: The immediate (t < 10ms) cryptographic anchoring
   of a raw signal to the lattice.


3.  Protocol Architecture


3.1.  Canonicalization and Signing


   To ensure deterministic verification, all data payloads MUST be
   canonicalized using RFC 8785 (JSON Canonicalization Scheme)
   before signing.  Verification is performed using Ed25519 digital
   signatures to ensure non-repudiation across the Apex Lattice.


3.2.  The Integrity Equation


   A data asset is considered integer if and only if:


   State(n) == Hash(Origin + Sum of Authorized Transitions)


3.3.  Multi-Party Computation (MPC) Consensus


   Integrity verification is distributed across three independent
   nodes (Alpha, Beta, and Gamma).  A 2/3 threshold consensus is
   required to issue a "Verified" attestation, preventing a single
   point of failure or corruption from compromising the proof.


4.  Domain Application: NDIS and Pharma


   NDIS Shield: Participant data is anonymized using hash-based
   identifiers while maintaining a stateful record of service
   delivery and compliance.


   Pharma Provenance: Clinical trial data is "Inception-Locked" at
   the site of capture, providing regulators with a tamper-proof
   audit trail that satisfies EU AI Act Article 12 and 15
   requirements.


5.  Security Considerations


   PSI-04 provides "Zero-Knowledge" accountability.  Entities can
   prove compliance with regulatory standards without disclosing the
   underlying proprietary data or protected identities of vulnerable
   subjects.


6.  IANA Considerations


   This document requests the registration of the psi://vulnerable
   URI scheme for the global resolution of stateful integrity proofs.


7.  References


   [RFC8785]  Rundgren, A., Jordan, B., and S. Erdtman, "JSON
              Canonicalization Scheme (JCS)", RFC 8785,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC8785, June 2020.


   [RFC8032]  Josefsson, S. and I. Liusvaara, "Edwards-Curve Digital
              Signature Algorithm (EdDSA)", RFC 8032,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC8032, January 2017.


Authors' Addresses


   Kawaljeet Singh
   Apex Intelligence Empire
   Balaclava, Victoria, Australia
   Email: kawaljeet.singh3008@gmail.com
   URI: https://apex-infrastructure.com