SUMMARY:

STATUM develops a technological system that seeks to digitally preserve permanent storage documents, designed to guarantee their integrity, traceability, and controlled long-term access.
 

INFORMATION:

The solution, called Reliable Digital Repository, responds to a growing need within client organizations: how to reliably and with regulatory support safeguard digital files that must be preserved for decades or even permanently.

The architecture of the system proposed by STATUM is based on a clear functional division. On the one hand, there is a module focused exclusively on preservation, designed as a "closed box" that prevents direct modifications by users. This area contains documents considered preservable due to their historical, regulatory, or administrative value, and on which actions such as deletion or alteration are not permitted.

On the other hand, the system has a section that acts as a document manager, which is more flexible and accessible. This area allows authorized personnel to search, classify files, and locate them within a directory structure defined by each organization according to their needs. Unlike the preserved area, this part is for daily use and is geared toward the active organization of documents in progress or with operational value.

The activation of the preservation module is based on a document policy predefined by each organization, based on precautionary period tables. These tables identify which documents should be retained, for how long, and under what conditions.

Based on this classification, files such as records, board minutes, or resolutions are transferred to the Trusted Digital Repository through a service provided by the system. Once uploaded, the document ceases to reside on its original platform and is safeguarded in the preservable environment. Some organizations, for example, determine that certain documents must be kept for life.

Standards, Formats, and National Regulations

The system includes a key component: automatic verification of the file format upon upload. STATUM points out that a file in standard PDF format is not considered suitable for digital preservation; it must comply with a specific variant to be considered preservable. In these cases, the system identifies the incompatibility and performs an automatic conversion to the corresponding format, more suitable for long-term storage.

These automatic transformations are based on format tables, configurable by each organization, which define which formats are valid and what actions should be taken when they cease to be valid. The table specifies when a format is no longer valid and the target format to which it should be converted, according to the needs of each institution.

These tables also allow for anticipating technological changes. If a format becomes obsolete in the future, the system can perform batch conversions based on these rules, ensuring that the content will remain accessible even decades from now.

In addition to the formats, the system relies on PREMIS (an acronym for Preservation Metadata: Implementation Strategies), an international standard that acts as the "digital DNA" of preservation. Its function is to record detailed metadata (who created a file, what happened to it, among other aspects) to ensure its long-term authenticity and integrity. The United States Library of Congress maintains this global standard, considered the best practice for preserving digital memory.

What types of documents could be preserved?

Examples of application include both regulatory and administrative documentation. A common case is the minutes of board meetings, which are consolidated into a digital ledger at the end of the year. This type of file, contemplated in administrative regulations, must be permanently preserved, becoming an official record of institutional decisions.

The preservation of procedures as documentary evidence of the internal functioning of organizations is also contemplated. For example, an organization may decide to save a sample of a procedure so that future records can be kept of how it was carried out at a given time.

Regulatory Support

This STATUM initiative is based on Decree 28/025, published on January 29, 2025, which regulates the technical, legal, and archival aspects of the digital document lifecycle.

Among other aspects, it includes obligations regarding traceability, metadata, digitization, and access control. It also promotes the creation of interdisciplinary teams to ensure the security, transparency, and preservation of digital information.

Several of these criteria were already defined for the physical format. Regarding the infrastructure, the system must meet additional requirements regarding backup, access, and cybersecurity. It is always implemented within each organization's network and with more limited access control to strengthen protection.

Several public agencies have already expressed interest in adopting this technology. Although the system is not yet in production, it is in an advanced stage, with work already underway with government institutions. A common need for preservation has been identified, as well as specific requirements for each organization.