Dictionary · Cybersecurity Fundamentals
Non-repudiation
Goals · Intermediate
The property that lets you demonstrate who performed an action and makes it difficult for that party to deny it convincingly later.
A shared team password cannot provide it, because any member could have used the account. Personal keys, signatures, and reliable logs move you closer.
Example: A contract signed with a private key gives stronger non-repudiation than a message sent from a mailbox everyone knows the password to.
Common misconception
- A shared password log shows the account, not the person. That is weak evidence for this property.