Message-level data protection
Primitives for encrypting selected data, verifying its publisher, and carrying use contracts and source references with each message.
TN-Proto packages these controls in a signed data object that applications can store, send, and use in a workflow.
Explore the protocolWhy we developed TN
Our work on automation brought us repeatedly to the problem of data leakage. We developed TN-Proto to address how sensitive information is protected and shared between applications.
The primitives
Group encryption
Put fields into separately encrypted groups. Each reader can decrypt the groups for which it holds the matching keys.
Signed publications
Check a publication against its writer's signing key and detect changes to the signed content.
Use contracts
Carry terms describing permitted use with the data. Applications evaluate those terms through configured decisions when receiving or publishing an object.
Source references
Retain references to contributing publications and their contracts when producing a result, so a reviewer can identify the inputs recorded for it.
Example: a shared transaction record
A bank separates transaction amounts and customer names into two encrypted groups. A reporting service receives the signed record and the key for the amounts. It can calculate a total while the names remain encrypted.
The returned report can retain the bank's use contract and references to the input publications. The bank and vendor example demonstrates this exchange.
Use TN within your application
Create an object, encrypt and sign its publication, then send it through your application's transport. The receiver verifies the publication, runs its configured use decision, and opens selected groups with its keys.
When publishing a result, the application selects the output fields and records the contributing sources. Your application supplies the use decisions and manages key access; these choices determine how the controls operate in your workflow.
Documentation and integration
See the protocol walkthrough and API guide for the current implementation. For help assessing a workflow or planning an integration, read about AI and automation consulting.