Are there any compression tools that are unopenable or password-protected until a specific time, at when the security is then lifted?Literally an enforced: Do not open until --/--/----
Protected archive (7z, RAR, Zip) open at a specific time
security;timestamps;archive
This is a computer science question.Can this be done at all? It it possible? The naive answer: Alice gives bob locked file and key, but first makes bob promises that he will not unlock it until it is time.Alice gives locked file to Bob, and key to Clare. Alice instructs Clare to give key to Bob at pre-defined time.For the case of writing special software to do the decoding. Then this software is Clare. Bob can manipulate Clare: including reverse engineering, or simply feeding a false time to Clare.Alice gives locked file to Bob, and key to Clive. Alice instructs Clive to publish key) at pre-defined time. (This avoids Clive having to know about Bob, and maybe Bob having to know about Clive. This reduces risk of collaboration, before set date.) What changes in the future to make it possible for Bob to unlock Alices file: What can Bob know in the future (so that he can unlock the file), but is impossible for Bob to know now(so he can not unlock it yet). But it is possible for Alice to know now (so that Alice can lock the file now)? If you can answer this, then I think it can be done.A possible answer: Alice gives Bob the locked file. At a time in the future Alice sends/publishes/transmits the key.