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digital signature Last modified: Monday, October 27, 2003

A digital code that can be attached to an electronically transmitted message that uniquely identifies the sender. Like a written signature, the purpose of a digital signature is to guarantee that the individual sending the message really is who he or she claims to be. Digital signatures are especially important for electronic commerce and are a key component of most authentication schemes. To be effective, digital signatures must be unforgeable. There are a number of different encryption techniques to guarantee this level of security.

Cryptography for encryption, digital signatures and authentication  Contains links to information on cryptography, a tutorial on public key encryption for secrecy and a discussion of the debate regarding government control of cryptography. Digital signature guidelines - tutorial  Provides an overview of the legal significance of signatures, explains how digital signature technology works, and examines how digital signature technology can be applied as a robust computer-based alternative to traditional signatures. eSecurity Planet  A resource for daily information on e-security targeted to IT managers. The site provides users with information from a variety of sources, including experts at security product and services firms, and the consultants who follow the security industry. W3C Digital Signature Initiative This public overview page contains links to initiative activities, proposals and meeting information. DRM Watch Analysis of digital rights management technology. NIST Digital Signature Standard (DSS) Contains the text of the Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 186 announcing the standard for Digital Signature Standard (DSS).