A digital signature is an electronic fingerprint that safely associates a signer with documents and transactions, ensuring compliance and security. It uses use public-key cryptography to offer better security and can be verified easily. Digital signatures provide non-repudiation, allowing identification of the author and detecting any changes made to the digitally-signed document/transaction.
Digital signatures provide a unique virtual fingerprint for messages, documents, and transactions. They help protect the integrity of digital communication by ensuring that the right people have access to the right information. Digital signatures are used by individuals, companies, and governments to ensure compliance and security in a variety of contexts, including financial and legal documents, contracts, and official communication. It is an essential tool for maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of electronic communication while also providing the necessary compliance and security measures.
What is the difference between a digital signature and an electronic signature?
Digital signatures are electronic signatures based on public-key infrastructure (PKI) providing high-level security and identity verification. Unlike traditional electronic signatures, digital signatures create a unique fingerprint that validates the authenticity and integrity of a message.
There are a couple of key differences between digital signatures and other types of electronic signatures. Digital signatures require more rigorous identity assurance through the use of digital certificates and biometrics, and they use public-key cryptography to offer more security than paper signatures. They provide compliance and security, ensuring that sensitive documents and transactions are protected from fraud and tampering.
How do digital signatures work?
Digital signatures use public-key cryptography and mutually authenticated private and public keys to secure electronic documents. The signatures are like electronic fingerprints and are verified using a standard format called Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) for identity verification. Advanced industries such as manufacturing and financial services heavily rely on digital signatures to speed up processes for paperless documentation. By using digital signatures, individuals and organizations can prevent tampering and ensure compliance and security.
What is Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)?
A more in-depth answer to how digital signatures work lies in Public Key Infrastructure or PKI. This software/hardware set manages digital signatures, assigning each one a unique public and private key. The public key is used for validation, ensuring that the signature is legitimate.
PKI technology includes a certificate authority, a digital certificate, and usually end-user enrolment software. These elements work together to ensure identity verification through public key validation. This process reduces security risks when transmitting public keys and binds user identity with digital certificates.
In short, PKI is the backbone of digital signatures, providing the compliance and security needed for sensitive electronic documents and transactions. By utilizing PKI, individuals and organizations can rest easy knowing that their digital signatures are verified and protected.
What is a Certificate Authority (CA)?
To fully understand digital signatures, we also have to mention Certificate Authorities (CAs). CAs issue digital certificates that contain information about the owner, public key, and expiration dates and are essential for ensuring a secure and compliant digital signing.
CAs ensure key security by eliminating the chance of fake digital certificates. This means both sender and signer must agree to use a specific CA for digital signature trust. It's also important to note that digital certificates must be issued by a trusted authority and are only valid for a limited time.
In summary, digital signatures work through the use of digital certificates issued by CAs. These certificates are essential for ensuring the security and compliance of digital signatures in today's digital age.
What is a digital certificate?
A digital certificate is an electronic document that contains the public key for a digital signature and specifies the identity associated with it. These certificates are issued by trusted authorities and act as a trusted party in the entire process. A digital certificate is only valid for a specified time. They can be used to verify that a public key belongs to a particular person or entity.
Digital signatures work by proving that a digital message or document was not modified from the time it was signed. By using encryption and decryption processes, digital signatures provide a high level of security and compliance for electronic transactions. With their ability to authenticate and verify the identity of the signatory, digital signatures have become an essential tool in the world of online commerce and business.
What are the benefits of digital signatures?
Digital signatures provide significant benefits, including unparalleled security through the use of public-key cryptography. They guarantee document integrity by generating unique hashes and using private/public key encryption. Compared to other forms of electronic signatures, digital signatures are the easiest to verify and the most reliable. They are commonly used in email and digital document transactions to protect sensitive information. Digital signatures provide a high level of compliance with legal requirements, making them the ideal solution for secure document signing.
Increased security
Reduced costs
Paperless business
Workflow automation
Enhanced user experience
Improved efficiency
Digital signature use cases
Digital signatures are used in a variety of industries, such as manufacturing, financial services, cryptocurrencies, and healthcare. The use of digital signatures is regulated by various standards such as eIDAS. Digital signatures have significantly enhanced the security of transactions and document sharing, making it easier for governments, businesses, and organizations to process transactions and manage contracts.
Sales contracts
Vendor/supplier agreements
Intellectual property licensing
Legal agreements
NDAs
Purchase orders
What is the difference between Advanced Electronic Signature and a Qualified Electronic Signature?
According to the eIDAS regulation, there are three levels of classifying digital signatures: basic electronic signature, advanced electronic signature, and qualified electronic signature.
1.
Basic Electronic Signature
Basic electronic signature, also called simple electronic signature, holds no legal value since it is not created using a digital certificate. It does not cover any of the core digital signature principles which are authentication, integrity, and non-repudiation. An example of a simple electronic signature would be an email signature.
2.
Advanced Electronic Signature
Advanced electronic signature holds identification capabilities since the signature is uniquely tied to a specific user/entity. Also, the advanced electronic signature is under full control of the signatory and in case the document has been tampered with, the signature is considered invalid. In order to create an advanced digital signature you can use biometrics and digital certificates.
3.
Qualified Electronic Signature
Qualified electronic signature is an extension of the advanced electronic signature that is created by a qualified signature creation device (QSCD), implying the use of a qualified certificate for electronic signatures. Qualified electronic signature is considered equivalent to a handwritten signature.
AES
QES
uniquely linked to the signatory
capable of identifying the signatory
created using electronic signature creation data that the signatory can, with a high level of confidence, use under his sole control
linked to the data signed in such a way that any subsequent change in the data is detectable
created by a qualified signature creation device and which is based on a qualified certificate for elctronic signatures
Although messages usually contain information about the person/entity that is sending the message, the data can be easily manipulated. In case a digital signature is present, you are able to authenticate the person/entity sending the message. This is enabled by PKI technology which binds the secret key to a specific user/entity. Being able to prove the identity of the sender is especially important in the financial sector. This is done through the process of verifying a digital signature by decrypting the signature with the sender’s public key.
2.
WYSIWYS principle
''What You See Is What You Sign'' principle, or ''short'' WYSIWYS'', refers to digital signatures and demonstrates the ability to detect if a document/transaction has been altered or tampered with. The signatory will only be able to digitally sign a document if the document is intact. This means that the contents shown on display, that the signatory is about to sign, are authentic, and the digital signature platform will only allow further actions if the document is tamper-free.
The primary objectives of the WYSIWYS by eIDAS are the following:
ensuring the integrity of the DTBS (data to be signed) is protected and rendered accurately over a trusted interface before the user digitally signs the document
providing an audit trail that origin non-repudiation
elevating the digital signature to the QES (qualifies electronic signature) level
3.
Integrity
Digital signatures have numerous use cases in both personal and professional settings. One key benefit of using digital signatures is the assurance of message integrity. When a document is signed digitally, the signature is invalidated if the message is modified after signing. This helps to prevent any unauthorized alterations to the document.
Unlike traditional signatures, digital signatures offer advanced security features and are legally binding in many countries. They use a mathematical algorithm to verify the authenticity and protect the information in digital documents.
In addition to fulfilling the requirements for e-signatures, digital signatures can provide evidence of origin, identity, and status of electronic documents while acknowledging informed consent. Overall, the use of digital signatures provides compliance and security, making them a valuable tool in the digital age.
4.
Non-repudiation
Digital signatures have become an important tool for ensuring compliance and security in various industries. One use case for digital signatures is non-repudiation, which means that an entity cannot later deny signing a document. This provides added security and accountability, especially in legal or financial transactions. In addition, digital signatures provide the validity of a notarization, making them a reliable option for contracts and agreements. With digital certificates and verification processes, it's easier to ensure that all parties have given their consent and that the contract is legally enforceable.
Digital signatures can also be useful for workflow processes that require multiple approvals, such as supply chain or financial management. They provide an efficient and secure way to manage approvals and ensure that all parties are on the same page.
Digital signature FAQ
1. What is a digital signature?
A digital signature is an electronic fingerprint that safely associates a signer with documents and transactions, ensuring compliance and security. It uses use public-key cryptography to offer better security and can be verified easily.
2. What is the difference between a digital signature and an electronic signature?
There are a couple of key differences between digital signatures and other types of electronic signatures. Digital signatures require more rigorous identity assurance through the use of digital certificates and biometrics, and they use public-key cryptography to offer more security than paper signatures. They provide compliance and security, ensuring that sensitive documents and transactions are protected from fraud and tampering.
3. How do digital signatures work?
Digital signatures use public-key cryptography and mutually authenticated private and public keys to secure electronic documents. The signatures are like electronic fingerprints and are verified using a standard format called Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) for identity verification.
4. What is Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)?
Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is a software/hardware set that manages digital signatures, assigning each one a unique public and private key. The private key is used for digital signing, while the public key is used for digital signature validation, ensuring that the signature is legitimate.
5. What is a Certificate Authority (CA)?
Certificate authorities, or CAs, are entities that issue digital certificates containing information about the owner, public key, and expiration dates. CAs are essential for ensuring a secure and compliant digital signing.
6. What is a digital certificate?
A digital certificate is an electronic document that contains the public key for a digital signature and specifies the identity associated with it. These certificates are issued by trusted authorities (CAs) and act as trusted party in the entire process. A digital certificate is only valid for a specified time. They can be used to verify that a public key belongs to a particular person or entity.
7. What are the different types of electronic signatures?
The official classification for electronic signatures contains three types of electronic signatures: basic/simple electronic signatures, advanced electronic signatures, and qualified electronic signatures.
8. What is the difference between an advanced electronic signature and a qualified electronic signature?
Advanced and qualified electronic signature share similar features. The main difference lies in the creation process – the qualified electronic signature is created using a qualified signature creation device and is considered equivalent to a handwritten signature.
