Preserving information means more than just storing it. True digital preservation ensures that data remains accessible, readable, and authentic over time. This is especially crucial in sectors like academia, culture, government, and research, where records often need to be preserved for decades—or even permanently.
That’s why Libsafe Advanced is designed to address one of the biggest concerns of any institution managing critical digital assets: data integrity.
But what exactly is “data integrity”? And more importantly: how does Libsafe Advanced ensure it in the long term?
What is Digital Integrity?
Digital integrity refers to the ability to ensure that a file has not been altered, damaged, or tampered with since it was first preserved. This includes protection against external threats (cyberattacks, unauthorized access), technical failures (hardware corruption, disk errors), and even human mistakes.
In short, preserving integrity means that the digital file you access 10, 20, or 50 years from now is exactly the same as the one originally submitted—backed by full traceability of its history.
Libsafe Advanced achieves this with a series of automated, advanced mechanisms that operate continuously and reliably in the background, with no need for manual intervention.
Automated Fixity Checks
A cornerstone of Libsafe Advanced is its fixity checking system. When a file is ingested, the system calculates a checksum—a unique mathematical fingerprint of the file’s content.
From that point on, Libsafe Advanced runs regular automated fixity checks, comparing the current state of the file with its original checksum. If the values match, the file’s integrity is confirmed. If not, the system issues alerts and enables investigation—or even restores a valid version from a replica.
This process is crucial for detecting silent corruptions, which can go unnoticed in traditional storage systems but can compromise valuable data over time.
Geographic Replication and Distributed Storage
Preservation also means not relying on a single physical or digital location. Libsafe Advanced allows for geographically distributed replicas—multiple copies of the same file stored in different locations.
This protects against data loss from natural disasters, cyber incidents, network failures, or human errors. Even if one replica is compromised, the system can restore the file from another valid copy.
Each replica is also verified independently, with its own checksums, ensuring cross-replica integrity and long-term resilience.
Full Audit Trails and Traceability
Every action taken on a file—whether viewing, downloading, or modifying—is automatically logged by Libsafe Advanced. These audit records are immutable and permanently linked to the file throughout its lifecycle.
This complete traceability ensures that any changes or tampering attempts can be detected, documented, and analyzed—critical for both security and regulatory compliance.
Version Control and Safe Changes
When an authorized user modifies a file, Libsafe Advanced does not overwrite the original version. Instead, it creates a new version, with its own fixity information and audit trail.
This versioning system allows institutions to track every change and roll back to previous versions if needed, reducing the risk of irreversible errors or data loss.
Protection from Human Error
Human error is one of the most common threats to digital data—accidental deletions, unauthorized changes, or inconsistent practices can all lead to data loss.
Libsafe Advanced minimizes these risks through granular access controls, role-based permissions, automatic alerts, and preservation policies that are consistently enforced. Even if a mistake occurs, the platform is equipped to restore data and recover integrity.
Based on International Preservation Standards
Libsafe Advanced is built on key digital preservation standards such as the OAIS Reference Model (ISO 14721) and ISO 16363, which defines the criteria for trustworthy digital repositories.
By aligning with these frameworks, Libsafe Advanced ensures that your institution’s preservation practices are interoperable, auditable, and sustainable over time.
Integrity as a Shared Responsibility
At its core, Libsafe Advanced offers a comprehensive approach to ensuring that preserved digital files remain authentic, consistent, and available—even decades into the future.
With tools like automated fixity checks, geographic replication, full audit trails, and version control, institutions can rest assured that their digital assets are actively protected and meet the highest standards in digital preservation.
Want to see how it works in practice?
👉 Contact us and we’ll show you how Libsafe Advanced can help you guarantee the long-term integrity of your digital files.
