Introduction to Digital Signature
The following article provides an outline for Digital Signature Uses. An analytical technique used to verify the originality of digital documents and messages so that the integrity of documents can be verified and used without any further authentications is called Digital signature. Two keys, private and public keys, are generated using a public key algorithm so that the private key is used to encrypt the document or signature, and the public key is used to decrypt the same document. If there is any problem with decryption, it shows that the document has some problem with its signature or its authenticity is hampered by someone.
List of Digital Signature Uses
Given below is the list of digital signature uses:
1. Signature Authentication
The most common use, as anyone would say, is to check the authenticity of signatures for any important documents or cheques. Though we have passwords and mails nowadays, when it is necessary to use a document, it is also important to check the authenticity of the same. Digital signature comes to the rescue here as if any important documents are to be verified; it can be used to generate public and private keys to verify the document. We can verify Personal Identification Numbers (PIN) using digital signatures to verify the documents and mails for further use. Codes and passwords also can be verified with this method.
2. Cryptographic Algorithms
Digital signatures are very much helpful in cryptographic algorithms. For example, we have symmetric and asymmetric encryptions where one key is used for encryption and decryption in symmetric encryptions. The public key is used for encryption, and the private key is used for decryption in asymmetric encryption. Here the messages can be encrypted by anyone using the public key but can be decrypted only by the intended receiver or sender using the private key. This helps in withholding the messages to others and decrypting the same only to the person concerned. Also, a digital signature helps in finding the origin of the message with the help of key encryption.
3. Certificate Verification
Fake certificates are easily created with the onset of technology, and it becomes tougher to find the authenticity of the same. These fake certificates are used to get jobs or admissions in reputed colleges, resulting in losing prospective candidates’ opportunities. Digital signature comes to help here as Certification Authority gives digital signature encryption to candidates to easily verify fake certificates.
4. Data Validation
Data exchange and analysis are happening a lot nowadays, and a small change in data makes the entire share crumple down or build up. Digital signatures provide code to check the validity and authenticity of raw data before processing to verify and process any type of data. This helps in further analysis of data without any scope of confusion.
5. Service Provider Validation
A person or a company provides validation of signatures and documents, certificates with the help of digital signatures. They are called Trusted person validation, which helps validate the documents on behalf of the provided company and gives assurance of the same. They provide reports on the basis of the documents they have validated, and this reports will be helpful for companies that have a huge number of documents for validation.
6. Digital Market
Nowadays, the digital market is of great scope both for buyers and sellers. The goods can be bought and sold online. But it is necessary to know the authenticity of the traders before doing trades with any of them. There is Public Key Infrastructure that generates vendor keys so that traders can be trusted. This PKI is recognized worldwide that helps in trading in the international market. If any issues arise with vendors, PKI can be used as it is legally accepted, and this helps in identifying the culprits, if any related to trades.
7. Time Authentication and Validation
We know that share markets depend a lot on time, and if there is a small change in the date in the documents provided by the companies, shareholders will buy or sell the same stock. This results in huge profits to some companies and loss to others. To rectify this, digital signature helps in time validation so that the news reports can be validated for their date. This also helps in lottery tickets and legal issuances where date and time play a crucial role.
8. Time and Cost Savings
Companies can save time by making people sign the document offline, storing the same for the future, and then reusing it whenever needed. If we store the same online, it is just the signature, and whenever we need the same, it can be retrieved from the servers and can be used. Also, money can be saved as storage of crucial documents need lockers and proper maintenance. This makes the company assign someone to look after the same and be in trust with the same person. Digital signatures help avoid all these by storing them in servers and providing a dynamic key for the folders.
9. Tracing the Documents
If we sign a document offline and pass it on to someone physically, it will be difficult to trace the origin of the document. If it gets hampered at some point, traceability will be difficult. Digital signatures are way helpful here as they can trace the origin of the document and trace the transfer of documents from one system to another.
10. Environment
Environmentalists will be happy with digital signatures as the use of papers can be reduced by making use of digital signatures everywhere. We can encrypt the documents and store them online, which makes the users to reduce papers. We need not transport paper documents that result in reducing the cost of transportation and the resulting security issues.
Conclusion
It’s time to stay away from the unsecured practices and make all the documents secure with the help of encryption. Technology helps us to do the same where we can enjoy all the benefits of technology to the fullest. We should know the limitless opportunities of technology in various forms.
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This is a guide to Digital Signature Uses. Here we discuss the introduction and list of digital signature uses for better understanding. You may also have a look at the following articles to learn more –
