Digital Signature Technologies & ApplicationsEd JensenFall 2013

The Signature

• Been around for centuries

• Used to establish authenticity of documents• Loan documents• Contracts• Declaration of Independence

Digital Signature

• Digital Certificate“a document that gives the name of a true party, that true party’s public key, and other information: used in authentication.” (Panko 2013)

• Digital Signature“a calculation added to a plaintext message to authenticate it” (Panko 2013)

How it works

Three Elements of a Digital Signature

• Keys• Public Key• Private Key

• Signature• Signature Verification

How it works (cont)

• Key Generation Algorithm• Public Key generated and stored• Private Key generated and issued to user

• Signing Algorithm

• Signature Verification Algorithm

How it works (cont)

• Certification Authorities• Accept applications• Issue Certificates• Maintain Certificate Status and other Data

How it works (cont)

• Role of Certification Authorities• Verify Identity of applicant• Ensure identity integrity• Attest to identity of applicant

Uses

• Authentication

• Integrity

• Nonrepudiation

Risks

• Security

• Stolen or Mistaken Identities

• Computation Power

Benefits

• Enhance security

• Going Paperless• Physical space• Cost savings

• Economic Development

Legal Considerations

• Federal ESIGN Act of 2000

• Legally Binding Contracts

• Liability of CA

Current Applications/Services

The Future

• Business transactions between individuals and government

• Government to government transactions

Summary

• We have a need to validate and authenticate electronic documents

• Digital Signatures can meet that need• Risks (security, stolen identity, computation power)• Benefits (enhance security, paperless, economic

development)• ESIGN Act of 2000 (legally binding contract, CA

liability)• The Future (individual to government, government to

government)

Questions?