Non-Repudiation
Non-repudiation: evidence that an action occurred
Non-repudiation is the property that a party cannot credibly deny having performed an action because reliable evidence binds them to it.
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Non-repudiation
Last reviewed 2026-08-21
Next
Decide which actions need evidence, then design identity, keys, and retention together.
Request a consultationWho this is for
Audit, legal-adjacent architecture, payments, and high-assurance identity teams.
Problem
Application logs are frequently treated as proof when they are only operational traces.
What to do next
Decide which actions need evidence, then design identity, keys, and retention together.
Knowledge topics
LibraryNon-Repudiation
Definition
Non-repudiation is an evidence property. It usually requires cryptographic binding (signatures or equivalent), controlled key custody, time, and integrity of the stored record.
Non-Repudiation
Why it matters
Disputes, fraud investigations, and regulatory examinations ask whether an action can be shown — not merely remembered by a server that the operator controls.
Non-Repudiation
How it works
Typical building blocks include digital signatures, timestamping, certificate lifecycle, hardware-backed keys, and an audit trail that is append-only under policy.
The evidence must name the principal, the action, and the authorization context — otherwise it is only a technical event.
Non-Repudiation
Limitations
Non-repudiation does not mean a court will always accept the evidence, and it does not mean the signer understood the UI. It is not a substitute for consumer protection law.
Non-Repudiation
Where this meets Keyra
Country and trust materials on Keyra.ie explicitly warn against claiming non-repudiation that has not been earned. This page defines the concept. Product-grade evidence claims require the relevant implementation and legal review.
Questions
What people ask first.
Plain answers. No product claims that have not been published elsewhere on Keyra.ie.
Are database audit rows non-repudiable?
Not by default. If the same operator can alter the row, a counterparty can argue the record was rewritten.
Does a digital signature equal identity proofing?
A signature proves control of a key. Whether that key is bound to a legal person is a separate identity question.