Digital Signature

Digital Signature

Introduction of Digital Signature

A digital signature is exactly what it sounds like a modern alternative to signing documents with paper and pen.

It uses an advanced mathematical technique to check the authenticity and integrity of digital messages and documents. It guarantees that the contents of a message are not altered in transit and helps us overcome the problem of impersonation and tampering in digital communications.

Digital signatures can provide evidence of origin, identity and status of electronic documents, transactions or digital messages. Signers can also use them to acknowledge informed consent.

What is a digital identity?

Similar to a passport in electronic form, a digital identity (or digital ID) provides strong evidence that you are who you say you are when e-signing a document. Each digital ID is backed by a digital certificate issued by a trusted third party, such as a bank or government, after thoroughly verifying your identity. Using a digital ID to authenticate your identity and apply a digital signature during the document signing process provides a higher level of assurance that you agreed to the terms listed and have authorized your signature on a specific document.

The role of digital signatures

In many regions, including parts of North America, the European Union, and APAC, digital signatures are considered legally binding and hold the same value as traditional document signatures.

In addition to digital document signing, they are also used for financial transactions, email service providers, and software distribution, areas where the authenticity and integrity of digital communications are crucial.

Industry-standard technology called public key infrastructure ensures a digital signature's data authenticity and integrity.

Categories of digital signatures

Digital signature certificates (DSCs) can be classified into three groups:

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