RemoteCourtLog Flat-Pack v0.2 SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS APPENDIX Pilot
Edition Generated: 2026-02-12T03:16:04.669092 UTC

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  PURPOSE OF THIS APPENDIX
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This appendix provides deeper security framing for IT departments, court
administrators, and risk reviewers evaluating deployment of
RemoteCourtLog Flat-Pack v0.2 in rural remote hearing rooms.

The goal is to clarify threat boundaries, responsibility separation, and
operational risk posture.

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  SECURITY BOUNDARY DEFINITION
  ------------------------------

RemoteCourtLog is NOT:

-   A video conferencing platform
-   A court case management system
-   A digital evidence repository
-   A public-facing web service

It is a local operational documentation tool.

Primary security boundary:

Remote hearing room workstation (local machine or LAN-restricted server)

Video conferencing security remains under the jurisdiction of the
court-approved platform provider (e.g., Zoom Government, Teams
Government).

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  THREAT MODEL OVERVIEW
  -----------------------

Primary risk categories:

1.  Unauthorized local access
2.  Data tampering
3.  Data loss
4.  Inappropriate internet exposure
5.  Misinterpretation of scope

The system is intentionally designed to reduce complexity and attack
surface.

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  1. UNAUTHORIZED LOCAL ACCESS
  ------------------------------

Risk: Unauthorized personnel accessing or modifying session logs.

Mitigations:

-   Admin login with salted SHA-256 password hash
-   Recommend dedicated OS user account for operation
-   Recommend removal of local admin privileges for operators
-   Optional disk encryption (BitLocker, LUKS, etc.)
-   Physical room access controls

Flat-file storage allows inspection without specialized tools.

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  2. DATA TAMPERING
  -------------------

Risk: Modification of session logs after creation.

Mitigations:

-   Append-only audit log (audit.ndjson)
-   Daily hash chain (daily_hashes.csv)
-   JSON files remain human-readable for review
-   External backup copies recommended

Tamper detection does not prevent modification but allows review and
detection during audits.

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  3. DATA LOSS
  --------------

Risk: Hardware failure or accidental deletion.

Mitigations:

-   Simple directory-based backup strategy
-   No database corruption risk
-   ZIP export per session
-   Recommended weekly backup policy
-   Optional secondary off-site backup

Flat-file design avoids database recovery complexity.

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  4. INTERNET EXPOSURE
  ----------------------

Risk: Public exposure increasing attack surface.

Mitigation:

-   Recommended local-only deployment
-   No requirement for open WAN ports
-   If LAN deployed, restrict to internal IP ranges
-   Do not expose to public internet

System functions fully offline except when launching court video
platform.

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  5. SCOPE MISINTERPRETATION
  ----------------------------

Risk: Assuming this system replaces official court recording systems.

Mitigation:

-   Clear documentation stating scope limitations
-   Explicit separation from court video platform
-   Explicit non-replacement of case management systems

The system exists to document rural access room operations only.

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  DATA RETENTION & GOVERNANCE
  -----------------------------

IT departments should align deployment with:

-   Local records retention schedules
-   Court administrative policies
-   Public records compliance requirements
-   Access control and archival standards

Flat-file design simplifies long-term archival and migration.

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  PATCHING & UPDATES
  --------------------

-   No auto-update mechanism (predictable change control)
-   Updates are manually deployed
-   No external dependency chain beyond PHP runtime
-   Minimal third-party risk exposure

IT may review code directly due to transparency of flat-file structure.

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  RISK POSITION SUMMARY
  -----------------------

Risk posture is intentionally minimized by:

-   Eliminating database dependency
-   Eliminating cloud storage
-   Eliminating third-party APIs
-   Avoiding public exposure
-   Using simple JSON storage
-   Maintaining transparent audit logging

This approach reduces infrastructure complexity while supporting pilot
deployment of rural remote hearing rooms.

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  FINAL NOTE
  ------------

RemoteCourtLog Flat-Pack v0.2 is structured for incremental improvement.

Future versions may introduce:

-   Role-based access control
-   Encrypted file storage
-   Centralized county dashboards
-   Digital signature capture
-   Automated backup scheduling

Security posture should be re-evaluated with each version change.

End of Security Considerations Appendix
