What is a Digital Signature Certificate?
A digital signature is a form of electronic authentication of a physical or paper certificate that enables the message’s sender to affix a code that serves as a signature. like a driving License, passport, etc. Certificates serve as proof of identity of an individual or organization for a specific purpose on an online/computer.
- Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) Certificate can be presented electronically to prove your identity, to access information or services on the Internet, or to sign certain documents digitally.
- A Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) Certificate authenticates your identity electronically. DSC also provides a high level of security for your online transactions by ensuring absolute privacy of the information exchanged using a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC).
- You can use certificates to sign/encrypt information such that only the intended recipient can read it. You can digitally sign information to assure the recipient that it has not been changed in transit and verify your identity as the message’s sender.
Where Can We Use It?
- For sending and receiving digitally signed and encrypted emails/documents.
- For carrying out secure web-based transactions.
- In eTendering, eProcurement, for Registrar of Companies e-filing, Income Tax for e-filing income tax returns and also in many other applications.
- For signing documents like MS Word, MS Excel and PDFs.
How to Use Digital Signature Certificate?
A digital signature certificate aids in electronically verifying a person’s identification. Additionally, by guaranteeing total anonymity of the transferred information using a Digital Signature Certificate, it provides a high level of security for any online transactions.
Certificates can be used to encrypt data, ensuring that only the intended recipient has access to it. You can digitally sign the data to ensure the recipient hasn’t changed while in transit and confirm the sender’s identity.
Digital signatures are produced using the two cryptographic keys that mutually authenticate each other in public-key cryptography. Data connected to the digital signature is encrypted by the person who creates it using a private key, which can only be unlocked using the signer’s public key. If the user can’t access the document with the signer’s public key, there’s an issue with the signature or the document.
Digital signatures are authenticated in this way. All parties must agree that the person who creates the signature has kept the private key confidential in order for digital signature technology to work.
Every signer receives a personalized digital identity from a reputable service provider, just as unique as a handwritten signature is. When a signer signs a contract, public key infrastructure technology is used to verify the signer’s identity and encrypt the signature.
To use the digital signature, you must first receive a Digital signature certificate by applying to one of the approved Certifying Authorities. When you get your DSC, you can use it to sign any PDF document online. The safest way to digitally sign a paper is with a USB Token containing your DSC.
As an illustration, John uses his private key to sign a contract to sell a timeshare. The document is given to the buyer. The document’s purchaser also obtains a duplicate of John’s public key. The signature isn’t John’s or has been altered since it was signed if the public key cannot decrypt it using the cipher from which the keys were generated. The signature is then deemed to be fake.
Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) demands that the keys be generated, managed, and preserved safely and frequently necessitates the assistance of a reputable Certificate Authority(CA) to protect the integrity of the signature. DocuSign and other digital signature service providers adhere to PKI standards for secure digital signing.
Why Would We Use a Digital Signature Certificate?
For business documents, eSignature standards based on digital signature technology and particular certified CAs have been established across various industries and geographical areas.
An e-signature solution can be enforceable and widely accepted in each local market by adhering to these PKI-based local standards and working with a reliable certificate authority. Digital signatures employ a globally accepted, standards-based technology called PKI, which also aids in preventing document forgery and changes made after the document has been signed.
To conclude, similar to how a digital signature certificate functions as a digital proof one can present electronically, a certificate serves as proof of an individual’s identity for a specific purpose. Authorized users can use a DSC to access certain internet data or services and prove their identity and digitally sign documents.
Through eSign software providers like Taxxinn, users can apply online for this digital certificate to sign documents electronically from anywhere at any time.
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How To Apply Digital Signature Certificate Online?