Authorized Intake & Testing Facility - Mandate & Compliance SLA

1. Definitions

• "AITF" or "Authorized Intake & Testing Facility" refers to the legal entity that has executed the Assurd AITF Agreement and is bound by this Mandate.
• "Assurd HQ" means Assurd Techlabs (OPC) Private Limited, the sole Certificate Issuing Authority and operator of the Assurd Global Registry.
• "Certification Request" means the complete package of telemetry data, VBIOS forensic records, and photographic triage assembled and submitted by the AITF to Assurd HQ via the Kairoscope portal, requesting that Assurd HQ evaluate and issue a Digital Certificate for the specified Hardware unit.
• "Kairoscope Portal" means the proprietary Assurd web-based software utility and associated telemetry suite licensed to the AITF for the purpose of executing SOPs and submitting Certification Requests to Assurd HQ.
• "SOP" means the Standard Operating Procedures documented by Assurd for the physical inspection, testing, and data collection of each class of Hardware, as updated from time to time and communicated to AITFs.
• "Material Breach" means any violation of this Mandate that, in Assurd's reasonable determination, compromises or has the potential to compromise the integrity of a Certification Request, a Digital Certificate, or the Assurd Global Registry, including but not limited to data manipulation, unauthorized hardware handling, and software circumvention.

2. Defined Role and Strict Boundary of AITF Authority

The AITF's role is strictly limited to the following activities, and does not extend beyond them under any interpretation:

• Receiving Hardware from Customers as directed by the Assurd platform booking system.
• Executing the prescribed Assurd SOP for the relevant Hardware class, including visual triage, VBIOS extraction, and thermal benchmarking, using only Assurd-approved equipment and software.
• Assembling the Certification Request package within the Kairoscope portal and submitting it to Assurd HQ for evaluation.
• Securely storing the Hardware while awaiting Assurd HQ's issuance decision or rejection notice.
• Coordinating the return of Hardware to the Customer upon receipt of instruction from Assurd HQ.

3. Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Compliance

Strict, undeviating adherence to Assurd SOPs is a fundamental and non-negotiable obligation of the AITF. SOPs are not guidelines; they are binding operational protocols. Non-compliance constitutes a breach of the AITF Agreement and, where it affects the integrity of a Certification Request, a Material Breach.

• 3.1 Infrastructure Parity. All Hardware must be tested on the exact infrastructure declared and verified during the AITF onboarding and audit process, including minimum 850W ATX 3.0 or later specification power supply units; PCIe Generation 4.0 or 5.0 x16 physical slots as specified per hardware class; and RAM and CPU configurations meeting Assurd's minimum benchmark host requirements. Any planned infrastructure changes must be pre-approved in writing by Assurd prior to implementation.
• 3.2 Thermal Neutrality. All desktop GPU testing must be conducted on an open-air test bench in a climate-controlled environment within the ambient temperature range specified in the relevant SOP. The introduction of any external directed airflow (including portable air conditioning units, industrial fans, or compressed air directed at the Device Under Test) during thermal saturation testing constitutes a critical SOP violation and a fraudulent manipulation of the Certification Request data submitted to Assurd HQ.
• 3.3 Visual Triage Mandatory. Every Hardware unit must undergo the full photographic and physical inspection triage protocol before any software testing commences. Certification Requests submitted to Assurd HQ without corresponding complete triage photography will be rejected by the Kairoscope validation engine. The AITF bears full liability to the Customer for delays resulting from an incomplete submission.
• 3.4 Data Completeness and Accuracy. The AITF is responsible for ensuring that all data included in a Certification Request is complete, unmodified, and accurately reflects the results of the SOP as executed. Any omission, selective exclusion, or post-hoc modification of telemetry data prior to submission constitutes a Material Breach.
• 3.5 SOP Version Control. AITFs are responsible for maintaining awareness of and immediately implementing updated SOP versions published by Assurd. Continued use of superseded SOPs after the mandatory adoption date constitutes non-compliance.

4. Kairoscope Portal License: Terms, Restrictions, and Termination

The Kairoscope Portal is licensed — not sold — to the AITF under a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license. The license is personal to the AITF entity and may not be sublicensed, assigned, or otherwise transferred to any third party under any circumstances.

• 4.1 Authorized Use Only. The Kairoscope Portal may be used exclusively for the purpose of executing Assurd SOPs and submitting Certification Requests to Assurd HQ for Hardware booked through the Assurd platform. Any use of the software outside this scope — including use for independent commercial testing, competitor platforms, or internal R&D — constitutes a breach of the license and a violation of Assurd's intellectual property rights under the Copyright Act, 1957.
• 4.2 Prohibited Conduct. The AITF expressly agrees not to: (a) reverse-engineer, decompile, disassemble, or create derivative works from any component of the Kairoscope Portal or its associated software; (b) intercept, spoof, replay, or modify the API communications between the Kairoscope client and Assurd HQ; (c) use debugging tools, network proxies, or hardware-level interposers to manipulate data transmitted to Assurd HQ; (d) share, lease, or allow access to the Kairoscope Portal credentials with any unauthorized party; or (e) install or operate the Kairoscope software on any system other than the declared and audited test bench.
• 4.3 Automatic License Termination. The license shall automatically terminate, without requirement for notice or judicial intervention, upon: (a) a finding of Material Breach by Assurd; (b) termination of the AITF Agreement by either party; or (c) expiry of any license renewal period without renewal. Upon termination, the AITF must immediately cease all use of the Kairoscope Portal and permanently delete all licensed software, API credentials, and associated documentation, certified in writing to Assurd within seven (7) business days.

5. Continuous Digital Auditing and Anomaly Detection

The AITF expressly acknowledges and consents to the fact that Assurd HQ operates a continuous, automated anomaly detection system that analyzes all Certification Requests submitted via the Kairoscope portal. This system is designed to identify statistical deviations, physically impossible sensor readings, inconsistencies between declared hardware and extracted VBIOS signatures, and patterns indicative of data manipulation. Assurd HQ may conduct unannounced audits of any AITF at any time. The following constitute non-exhaustive examples of audit red flags:

• GPU junction temperatures implausibly low during thermal saturation tests relative to ambient sensor readings submitted in the same Certification Request.
• Benchmark scores statistically inconsistent with the performance profile of the declared hardware model under standard operating conditions.
• VBIOS hash submissions matching a hash already logged against a different serial number in the Registry.
• Triage photo metadata (EXIF timestamps) inconsistent with the Kairoscope session timestamp logs for the same job.
• Anomalous API call patterns indicating potential replay, injection, or interception attacks on the Kairoscope-to-HQ data pipeline.

Upon detection of an audit flag, Assurd HQ may: (a) place a "Pending Review" hold on the relevant Certification Request, suspending issuance; (b) request a mandatory on-site or remote audit of the AITF's facilities and systems; and (c) suspend the AITF's ability to submit new Certification Requests pending the outcome of the investigation. The AITF agrees to cooperate fully and promptly with all audit requests.

6. Material Breach: Immediate Remedies and Consequences

Upon a finding of Material Breach, as determined by Assurd HQ at its sole and reasonable discretion based on audit evidence, Assurd HQ shall be entitled to exercise any or all of the following remedies immediately, concurrently, and without prejudice to each other:

7. Chain of Custody, Physical Security, and Liability

From the moment a Customer's Hardware is logged into the AITF's intake system until it is transferred to an outbound carrier and a tracking number is generated, the AITF assumes full and exclusive liability for the physical safety, security, and integrity of the Hardware.

• 7.1 Secure Storage. All inbound and outbound customer Hardware must be stored in a physically secured, monitored environment with restricted access. Hardware status must be logged in the Kairoscope portal custody module at all times from intake to dispatch.
• 7.2 Loss and Theft. The AITF bears direct financial liability to the affected Customer for the Fair Market Value of any Hardware that is lost, stolen, or damaged beyond pre-existing condition while in the AITF's physical custody. Assurd HQ shall have no liability for physical losses occurring within an AITF facility.
• 7.3 Prohibition on Unauthorized Use. Under no circumstances may an AITF use, benchmark, mine cryptocurrency with, or otherwise operate a Customer's Hardware for any purpose other than the specific Assurd SOP execution for the booked Certification Request. Any unauthorized use constitutes a Material Breach under Section 6 and may constitute a criminal offence under applicable Indian law.
• 7.4 Return Logistics. AITFs must coordinate return logistics through the Assurd-approved logistics channel and must ensure Hardware is packed using Assurd-specified tamper-evident packaging standards prior to carrier handover. Failure to comply with packaging standards that results in transit damage may shift liability back to the AITF.

8. Service Level Obligations

AITFs commit to the following minimum service level obligations as a condition of maintaining active access to the Kairoscope portal:

• Turnaround Time: Complete the full SOP execution and submit a complete Certification Request to Assurd HQ within the published maximum turnaround window for the relevant hardware class, as specified in the SOP.
• Customer Communication: Respond to Customer queries forwarded through the Assurd platform within twenty-four (24) hours on business days.
• Incident Reporting: Notify Assurd HQ via audit@assurd.in within two (2) hours of discovering any Hardware loss, security incident, system compromise, or potential SOP violation.
• Operational Availability: Maintain capacity to receive and process Hardware during declared operating hours. Planned downtime must be communicated to Assurd HQ no less than seventy-two (72) hours in advance.

9. Governing Law, Jurisdiction, and Indemnification

This Mandate and the AITF Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of India. All disputes arising hereunder shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Pune, Maharashtra, India. The AITF agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Assurd HQ, its directors, officers, and employees from all claims, liabilities, damages, and costs (including legal fees) arising from: the AITF's breach of this Mandate; any negligent or intentional act or omission by the AITF; any Customer claim arising from the AITF's physical handling of Hardware or rejected Certification Request; and any unauthorized use or circumvention of the Kairoscope Portal.