Integrity Verification

MyEmailVault uses SHA-256 hashing to verify that archived emails and attachments have not been modified since they were stored. This provides a cryptographic guarantee of data integrity for compliance and audit purposes.

How It Works

When a message is archived, MyEmailVault calculates a SHA-256 hash for:

• The raw .eml file (the complete original message)
• Each individual attachment

These hashes are stored alongside the archived data and serve as a permanent reference point.

Integrity Report

An integrity report is automatically generated when you open the detail view of any archived email. The report compares the current SHA-256 hash of each stored file against the hash that was recorded at ingest time.

Each item in the report displays one of two statuses:

Status	Meaning
Valid (green)	The current hash matches the original. The file has not been altered.
Invalid (red)	The current hash does not match the original. The file may have been modified or is missing.

Investigating an Invalid Status

If an item shows an Invalid status, hover over the badge to see the specific reason. Common causes include:

• Hash mismatch -- the file exists in storage but its contents differ from the original. This indicates the file was modified after archival.
• File not found -- the file is no longer present in the expected storage location. This may indicate accidental deletion or a storage-level issue.

Recommended Actions

If an integrity check fails:

1. Review the audit log for any operations that may have affected the file.
2. Check the storage backend for errors or unauthorized access.
3. If the original source mailbox is still available, re-archive the affected message to restore a verified copy.
4. Document the finding for your compliance records.