Last updated: January 2026

What changed: Initial publication defining Artifact Objects and usage guidance.

What is an Artifact Object?

An Artifact Object is the atomic unit of proof we handle during investigations and audits. It couples three inseparable elements:

Content: The recovered material itself (binary image, sensor output, microscopy capture, or physical specimen).
Context: Collection parameters, instrumentation identifiers, calibration state, and analyst actions at the moment of acquisition.
Control: Cryptographic fingerprinting, custody lineage, and integrity controls enforced through OASIS facility procedures and TARE orchestration.

Treating artifacts as structured objects—rather than loose files or ad hoc samples—lets us bind every claim to verifiable provenance.

Why we use the term “Artifact” instead of only “Evidence”

Legal audiences expect the word evidence, but Assurance requires more precision:

Neutral and auditable: “Artifact” emphasizes the recorded object plus its metadata, reducing ambiguity and aiding reproducibility.
Lifecycle aware: Artifacts persist from collection through analysis without mutation; new interpretations create new derivative artifacts instead of overwriting history.
System-verified: Each artifact carries hash-linked custody events, enabling defensibility for Executive Assurance and Incident Evidence Integrity Audits.

We surface “evidence” in public headers for clarity, but our internal data model and workflows remain artifact-first to protect chain-of-truth.

Examples of Artifact Objects

Firmware capture: SPI flash dump with tool version, read mode, voltage profile, and SHA-256 recorded at acquisition. Any deobfuscation or carving creates a derivative artifact with a new hash and explicit parent reference.
Decapped IC specimen: Physical package photographed under calibrated optics with lot number, temperature cycle history, and solvent exposure timeline logged through TARE before micrograph analysis begins.
Network trace window: BPF-filtered packet capture bounded to a defined timebox, including sensor clock drift correction and cryptographic seal at close-out.
Calibration bundle: HELIX sensor array baseline file with reference-node offsets, stored as an artifact to prove downstream measurements remained within tolerance.

How Artifact Objects strengthen Assurance and defensibility

Integrity by design: Immutable storage in our content-addressable repository; every custody event is append-only and hash-chained.
Scope discipline: Each artifact maps directly to a question in the engagement scope, keeping Executive Assurance reports tightly aligned to decision criteria.
Repeatable analysis: Replays are possible because acquisition parameters and toolchains are preserved alongside the data, enabling third-party validation.
Separation of findings: Conclusions live in reporting artifacts, distinct from raw and processed artifacts, preventing interpretive bias from contaminating source material.

How clients can engage with artifacts

Request the artifact index for your case to see every object, its hash, and its custody lineage.
Reference artifact IDs when asking questions—this keeps discussions anchored to verifiable material.
Authorize controlled derivatives if additional processing is needed; we will create new artifacts with explicit parentage rather than altering originals.

By operating on Artifact Objects, TKOResearch delivers forensic outputs that are legally durable, technically reproducible, and ready for scrutiny in high-stakes Assurance engagements.