Digital Signature
Security Features
For electronic documents a digital signature is the counterpart to a hand written signature that authenticates traditional documents. Technically electronic signature is based on the hybrid encryption process.It verifies not only sender but also the untampered integrity of the signed document. This means that the document contents are incontestable. Digital signature answers to the legal requirements for electronic documents. particularly in government agencies, banks and eCommerce in general. This means that every business transaction that is stored in the Internet requires a legally binding verification of the transmitted message.
Digital Signature avails itself of the public key process (digital certificates) and encrypts the finger print (hash function) with the sender's private key (signature key). Recipients can then ascertain the integrity of the data as well as the authenticity of the sender using the appropriate public key.
A digital signature offers even better protection against forgery than does a hand written signature. This is because a digital signature guarantees that a specific person has signed the data or message, and that subsequently the data or message has not been changed in any way, not even by replacement of a comma or period. Digital signature will soon be part of our electronic every day life. The relevant European and national legislation either has been, or soon will be, passed.