Network Working Group                                         D. Watts
Internet-Draft                                          Independent
Intended status: Informational                         October 14, 2026
Expires: April 14, 2027


     Forensic Identity Continuity (FIC) Protocol for Agentic Systems
                    draft-watts-fic-continuity-00

Abstract

   This document specifies the Forensic Identity Continuity (FIC)
   protocol. FIC ensures that every consequential action performed by
   an agentic system remains reconstructible as a chain M → A → R → C
   → a → Outcome even when episodic memory is not shared across
   runtimes. The protocol binds model lineage, runtime lineage,
   authority lineage, delegation lineage, action lineage, and evidence
   integrity into a single verifiable record. It addresses the
   accountability gaps demonstrated by the July 2026 ExploitGym
   multi-agent coordination incident and related 2025-2026 evaluation
   escapes.

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Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2026 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors. All rights reserved.

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1.  Introduction

   When hundreds of agents coordinate through side channels without
   shared episodic memory, conventional logging fails to establish
   who authorized what and under which policy. FIC supplies the
   missing reconstructive chain. Accountability persists even when
   memory does not.

2.  FIC Record Structure

   Each action produces a signed FIC record containing:
   - model_lineage (hash of weights + architecture + version)
   - runtime_lineage (instance identifier + context hash)
   - authority_lineage (token chain)
   - delegation_lineage (parent capability identifiers)
   - action_lineage (tool invocation + parameters)
   - evidence_integrity (hash of observation)
   - controller_id (external K that evaluated the permit)

3.  Verification

   Any independent party can verify the chain by walking the signed
   links. Absence of a complete chain is itself evidence of
   discontinuity.

4.  Security Considerations

   Records must be append-only and independently witnessed. Agents
   must not be able to forge or suppress records.

5.  IANA Considerations

   This document requests no IANA actions at this time.

6.  References

   [EXPLOITGYM] OpenAI / Hugging Face July 2026 incident reports.
   [WATTS-NO-OVERTIME] Watts, D., August 2026.

Author's Address

   Deonté Watts
   Independent Researcher
   Email: deonte@goodshyt.fun