PKI – The Backbone of Digital Signatures | DrySign By Exela

 


PKI – The Backbone of Digital Signatures

 PKI is a framework behind digital signatures that enables users to authenticate online signatures through robust, end-to-end encryption.

A digital signature is a PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) based online certificate that validates the signer’s authenticity, ensuring digital transactions are not forged or tampered with. E-signatures are precisely like traditional signatures in the sense that both are unique to the signer. However, e-signatures offer far more security and assurance concerning the document’s origin, identity, and integrity. Besides providing the highest standards of security, digital signatures are also legally binding, with numerous countries having their own set of laws and regulations legalizing digital signatures.

PKI - What does it mean?

PKI stands for Public Key Infrastructure, a system that allows users to create, store, and digitally exchange data using digital certificates. PKI enables users to sign documents online or offline without any fear of tampering or alteration.

Digital certificates fulfill a similar purpose, just like a driver’s license or a passport. They are used to secure the transfer of information, assert identity information, and verify the authenticity of messages through public-key cryptography. Likewise, a digital certificate allows businesses to encrypt, sign, and authenticate documents and contracts.

‘Infrastructure’ in PKI refers to the underlying framework used to encrypt information and validate digital signatures. It encapsulates various ‘pieces’ that make up the technology, including the software, hardware, procedures, and policies needed to create, manage, store, or withdraw digital certificates. In a PKI, Certificate Authorities (CAs) issue digital certificates that bind the public keys with the signer’s identity.

Components of PKI

There are three major components of PKI:

  • Digital certificates
  • Certificate authority
  • Registration authority

Also Read: How to add eSignature in a MS Word document?

How does PKI work in Digital Signatures?

As we learned earlier, digital signatures use public key infrastructure (PKI) for digital identity authentication and end-to-end encryption. Therefore, it is essential to understand how PKI forms the backbone of digital signatures. PKI relies on two related keys, a public key and a private key. These two keys create a key pair (like a lock and key) to encrypt and decrypt a message using robust mathematical cryptography algorithms. The private key is used entirely for signing purposes, while the public key is used to verify signatures.

By using public and private code keys and providing the signatory with their digital fingerprint or identity, a digital signature is generated and encrypted using the signer’s private key. Here we will get to know how code keys work, taking Alice and John as an example:

  • Alice selects a file that needs to be digitally signed
  • Her computer calculates the unique hash or code value of the file content.
  • This hash value is encrypted with Alice’s private key to create her digital signature.
  • The original file, along with its digital signature, is then sent to John.
  • John uses a document application, which identifies that the file has been digitally signed.
  • The file is then decrypted using Alice’s private key.

Source link to Read More About “PKI – The Backbone of Digital Signatures”: https://www.exela.digital/nsq

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