Paradigms for verification of authorization at source of electronic documents in an integrated environment

Verification of correct authorization of an electronic document at its source is as essential as the more familiar requirement of authentication and of increasing importance. This verification is a relatively new explicit requirement for electronic documents. Currently any checks of authorization at source are done by human elements in the receiving enterprise. Automated technology will force changes to current message processing methods to include verification of authorization at source in order to prevent fraud by esoteric attackers. The necessity for verification of authorization at source is explained. Paradigms based on audit principles used with paper documents are proposed and compared. Common problems of privacy and disclosure, and overheads on both sender and receiver are examined