Provenance as a Security Control

Much has been written about security and provenance. Although both have their own large areas of concern, there is a very significant intersection. One is often brought to bear upon the other, in the study of the security of provenance. We discuss through a series of examples how provenance might be regarded as a security control in its own right. We argue that a risk-based approach to provenance is appropriate, and is already being used informally. A case study illustrates the applicability of this line of reasoning.