I start to see how this works. There is a third party, but they intervene at signing time and not at validation time. In detail: You create a hash of your exe

I start to see how this works. There is a third party, but they intervene at signing time and not at validation time. In detail: You create a hash of your executable and send it to the third party, the TSS. They sign the hash, and never even need to see the actual executable. As long as the end user trusts the third party's cert, the TSS can guarantee the executable existed in its current shape on the date you claim it existed. A kind of notary service. For who wants to know more: Here is a Java article detailling how this works for Java, and what happens if the TSS cert itself expires https://blogs.oracle.com/java-platform-group/signed-code-needs-to-be-re-signed?source=:em:nw:mt::RC_WWMK180514P00061:SEV100743665&elq_mid=122882&sh=19261382112291426131527042&cmid=WWMK180514P00061 https://blogs.oracle.com/java-platform-group/signed-code-nee... And wikipedia is interesting too: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trusted_timestamping https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trusted_timestamping