Abstract: A method of detecting abnormalities in a supply chain wherein items of a plurality of supply chain principals are transferred in an operational field from one supply chain participant to another through various transfer transactions, comprises the steps of utilizing distributed electronic data recording equipment to collect in real time and in the operational field transaction data relating to transfer transactions involving items of all the principals. The collected transaction data is associated with an integrity index and is stored in a central trusted database. A processor is used to process the collected transaction data and taking into account the index to determine data relating to normal behavior in the chain. The processor is further used to determine whether new input data relating to transactions in the chain is indicative of behavior that deviates from the data relating to normal behavior and to provide a trigger when an abnormality in the chain is detected.

Abstract: A method of collecting evidence relating to a transfer of a transferable article comprises the steps of capturing data relating to the article, data relating to a receiver of the article, data relating to a transferor of the article, data relating to a transaction sequence number and data and data relating to a time and place of the transaction. The captured data is encrypted by a private key of a first asymmetric encryption key pair associated with a trusted field data recorder and transmitted to a central database. At the database, the processor adds data relating to the time of receipt and data relating to a database recordal sequence number, to form a database data collection. The database data collection is encrypted utilizing a private key of a second asymmetric encryption key pair, before the encrypted data is recorded in the database.