Digital Signatures and

Certificates
By
Dr. Gopalakrishnan C
Assistant Professor
Digital Signature
✓ A digital signature is a mathematical technique which validates
the authenticity and integrity of a message, software or digital
documents.
✓ It allows us to verify the author name, date and time of
signatures, and authenticate the message contents.
✓ The digital signature offers far more inherent security and
intended to solve the problem of tampering and impersonation
(Intentionally copy another person's characteristics) in digital
communications.
Digital Signature
✓ The computer-based business information authentication interrelates
both technology and the law.
✓ It also calls for cooperation between the people of different
professional backgrounds and areas of expertise.
✓ The digital signatures are different from other electronic signatures not
only in terms of process and result, but also it makes digital signatures
more serviceable for legal purposes.
✓ Some electronic signatures that legally recognizable as signatures may
not be secure as digital signatures and may lead to uncertainty and
disputes.
Application of Digital Signature

The important reason to implement digital signature to

communication is:
1. Authentication

2. Non-repudiation

3. Integrity
Application of Digital Signature
➢ Authentication is a process which verifies the identity of a user who wants to access the
system. In the digital signature, authentication helps to authenticate the sources of
messages.

➢ Non-repudiation

➢ Non-repudiation means assurance of something that cannot be denied. It ensures that

someone to a contract or communication cannot later deny the authenticity of their
signature on a document or in a file or the sending of a message that they originated.

➢ Integrity

➢ Integrity ensures that the message is real, accurate and safeguards from unauthorized user
modification during the transmission.
Algorithms in Digital Signature

A digital signature consists of three algorithms:

1. Key generation algorithm
The key generation algorithm selects private key randomly from a set of
possible private keys. This algorithm provides the private key and its
corresponding public key.
2. Signing algorithm
A signing algorithm produces a signature for the document.
3. Signature verifying algorithm
A signature verifying algorithm either accepts or rejects the document’s
authenticity.
How digital signatures work?
➢ Digital signatures are created and verified by using public key cryptography, also known
as asymmetric cryptography. By the use of a public key algorithm, such as RSA, one can
generate two keys that are mathematically linked- one is a private key, and another is a
public key.
➢ The user who is creating the digital signature uses their own private key to encrypt the
signature-related document. There is only one way to decrypt that document is with the
use of signer's public key.
➢ This technology requires all the parties to trust that the individual who creates the
signature has been able to keep their private key secret. If someone has access the
signer's private key, there is a possibility that they could create fraudulent signatures in
the name of the private key holder.
➢ The steps which are followed in creating a digital signature are:
How digital signatures work?
1. Select a file to be digitally signed.
2. The hash value of the message or file content is calculated. This message or file
content is encrypted by using a private key of a sender to form the digital signature.
3. Now, the original message or file content along with the digital signature is
transmitted.
4. The receiver decrypts the digital signature by using a public key of a sender.
5. The receiver now has the message or file content and can compute it.
6. Comparing these computed message or file content with the original computed
message. The comparison needs to be the same for ensuring integrity.
Types of Digital
Signature

Different document processing

platform supports different types of
digital signature. They are described
here.
Types of Digital Signature
Certified Signatures
➢ The certified digital signature documents display a unique blue ribbon across the
top of the document.
➢ The certified signature contains the name of the document signer and the
certificate issuer which indicate the authorship and authenticity of the document.
Approval Signatures
➢ The approval digital signatures on a document can be used in the organization's
business workflow.
➢ They help to optimize the organization's approval procedure. The procedure
involves capturing approvals made by us and other individuals and embedding
them within the PDF document.
➢ The approval signatures to include details such as an image of our physical
signature, location, date, and official seal.
Types of Digital Signature
Visible Digital Signature
➢ The visible digital signature allows a user to sign a single document digitally.
➢ This signature appears on a document in the same way as signatures are
signed on a physical document.

Invisible Digital Signature

➢ The invisible digital signatures carry a visual indication of a blue ribbon
within a document in the taskbar.
➢ We can use invisible digital signatures when we do not have or do not want to
display our signature but need to provide the authenticity of the document, its
integrity, and its origin.
Digital Signatures and Certificates
✓ Digital signatures and certificates are two key technologies that play a
crucial role in ensuring the security and authenticity of online activities.

✓ They are essential for activities such as online banking, secure email
communication, software distribution, and electronic document signing.

✓ Providing mechanisms for authentication, integrity, and non-repudiation,

these technologies help protect against fraud, data breaches, and
unauthorized access.
Assurances About Digital Signatures
The definitions and words that follow illustrate the kind of assurances that
digital signatures offer.
Authenticity:
The identity of the signer is verified.
Integration:
Since the content was digitally signed, it hasn’t been altered or interfered with.
Non-repudiation:
Demonstrates the source of the signed content to all parties. The act of a signer
denying any affiliation with the signed material is known as repudiation.
Notarization:
Under some conditions, a signature in a Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, or
Microsoft PowerPoint document that has been time-stamped by a secure time-
stamp server is equivalent to a notarization.
Benefits of Digital Signatures
➢ Legal documents and contracts: Digital signatures are legally binding. This makes
them ideal for any legal document that requires a signature authenticated by one or
more parties and guarantees that the record has not been altered.
➢ Sales contracts: Digital signing of contracts and sales contracts authenticates the
identity of the seller and the buyer, and both parties can be sure that the signatures are
legally binding and that the terms of the agreement have not been changed.
➢ Financial Documents: Finance departments digitally sign invoices so customers can
trust that the payment request is from the right seller, not from a attacker trying to trick
the buyer into sending payments to a fraudulent account.
➢ Health Data: In the healthcare industry, privacy is paramount for both patient records
and research data. Digital signatures ensure that this confidential information was not
modified when it was transmitted between the consenting parties.
Drawbacks of Digital Signature
➢ Dependency on technology: Because digital signatures rely on technology,
they are susceptible to crimes, including hacking. As a result, businesses that
use digital signatures must make sure their systems are safe and have the
most recent security patches and upgrades installed.

➢ Complexity: Setting up and using digital signatures can be challenging,

especially for those who are unfamiliar with the technology. This may result in
blunders and errors that reduce the system’s efficacy. The process of issuing
digital signatures to senior citizens can occasionally be challenging.

➢ Limited acceptance: Digital signatures take time to replace manual ones

since technology is not widely available in India, a developing nation.
Digital Certificate

✓ Digital certificate is issued by a trusted third party which

proves sender’s identity to the receiver and receiver’s identity
to the sender.

✓ A digital certificate is a certificate issued by a Certificate

Authority (CA) to verify the identity of the certificate holder.

✓ Digital certificate is used to attach public key with a particular

individual or an entity.
Digital Certificate Contains
✓ Name of certificate holder.

✓ Serial number which is used to uniquely identify a certificate, the individual

or the entity identified by the certificate

✓ Expiration dates.

✓ Copy of certificate holder’s public key. (used for decrypting messages and
digital signatures)

✓ Digital Signature of the certificate issuing authority.

✓ Digital certificate is also sent with the digital signature and the message.
Advantages of Digital Certificate
NETWORK SECURITY:
✓ A complete layered strategy is required by modern cybersecurity methods, wherein
many solutions cooperate to offer the highest level of protection against attackers.
✓ An essential component of this puzzle is digital certificates, which offer strong defense
against manipulation and man-in-the-middle attacks.

VERIFICATION:
✓ Digital certificates facilitate cybersecurity by restricting access to sensitive data, which
makes authentication a crucial component of cybersecurity. Thus, there is a decreased
chance that attackers will cause disturbance.
✓ At many different endpoints, certificate-based authentication provides a dependable
method of identity verification. Compared to other popular authentication methods
like biometrics or one-time passwords, certificates are more flexible.

BUYER SUCCESS:
✓ Consumers demand complete assurance that the websites they visit are reliable.
✓ Because digital certificates are supported by certificate authority that users’ browsers
trust, they offer a readily identifiable indicator of reliability.
Disadvantages of Digital Certificate
Phishing Attacks:

✓ To make their websites look authentic, attackers can fabricate bogus websites and obtain
certificates.

✓ Users may be fooled into providing sensitive information, such as their login credentials, which the
attacker may then take advantage of.

Weak Encryption:

✓ Older digital certificate systems may employ less secure encryption methods that are open to
intrusions.

Misconfiguration:

✓ In order for digital certificates to work, they need to be set up correctly.

✓ Websites and online interactions can be attacked due to incorrectly configured certificates.
Digital Certificate vs Digital Signature
Feature Digital Signature Digital Certificate

A digital signature secures the

Digital certificate is a file that
integrity of a digital document in
Basics / Definition ensures holder’s identity and
a similar way as a fingerprint or
provides security.
attachment.
It is generated by CA (Certifying
Hashed value of original data is
Authority) that involves four
encrypted using sender’s private
Process / Steps steps: Key Generation,
key to generate the digital
Registration, Verification,
signature.
Creation.
Authenticity of Sender, integrity
It provides security and
Security Services of the document and non-
authenticity of certificate holder.
repudiation.

It follows Digital Signature

Standard It follows X.509 Standard Format
Standard (DSS).
Thank You