Methodology

Evidence before interpretation.

VIRON Signal never turns an unexplained reading into a confirmed threat. Each incident keeps its source, time, evidence class, verification state, and separate scores visible.

Evidence classes

ClassMeaning
Official factPublished by an authoritative source and attributed directly.
Verified observationA measured observation whose source and basic integrity are verified.
Algorithmic anomalyA statistically or rule-detected deviation; its cause may be unknown.
Community reportA structured user report, private and unverified until moderation or correlation thresholds are met.
InterpretationA stated explanation or synthesis, separate from its underlying evidence.
SpeculationAn explicitly uncertain possibility, never styled as fact.

The federation registry adds source provenance classes—local, national, regional and international official sources; scientific observations; primary, local, syndicated and analysis media; community reports; Scanner; Sentinel; VIRON-derived results; and fixtures. A source class describes provenance, not reliability equivalence. See the Source Network and Evidence Components fixture views.

Four scores, not one misleading number

Confidence measures support for the incident’s existence. Severity describes seriousness. Novelty measures deviation from baseline. Impact estimates affected people, area, or systems. The optional Global Signal Level shows contributors and uncertainty.

Correlation

Independent sources, different measurement types, tight time and geographic agreement, fixed-node consistency, and authoritative confirmation can raise confidence. Duplicate upstream data, one moving phone, poor sky view, device errors, contradictions, and benign environmental explanations reduce it.

Corrections and source outages

Incidents can become explained, dismissed, or expired. Rejected evidence and provider outages remain visible. Missing data never means invented calm or danger.

Important limits