What is Content fingerprint (SHA-256)? (cryptographic hash)

ChronoVerify glossary

A content fingerprint is a cryptographic hash (ChronoVerify uses SHA-256 and SHA-512) computed over the exact bytes of a file. The same bytes always produce the same hash, and any change produces a different one, so a fingerprint pins precisely which file was analysed. ChronoVerify returns both hashes with every verdict and signs them into the audit report, giving a reproducible chain-of-custody reference.

Why it matters

The fingerprint is the reproducible anchor of every ChronoVerify result. It pins exactly which bytes were analysed, so a verdict can be tied to one specific file and checked again later, and it is signed into the audit report as a chain-of-custody reference. Unlike the probabilistic verdict layer, the fingerprint is cryptographic and exact.