Digital Signature

Isiah Collins

What is a Digital Signature

mathematical

scheme for demonstrating the authenticity of a digital message or document. (Wiki) way to protect important documents sent over the Web ensuring that the information is from the intended person and has not been tampered with.

History behind Digital Signatures

In

1976, Whitfield Diffie and Martin Hellman first described the notion of a digital signature scheme Rivest, Adi Shamir, and Len Adleman invented the RSA algorithm, which could be used to produce primitive digital signatures

Ronald

First

widely marketed software package to offer digital signature was Lotus Notes 1.0, released in 1989, which used the RSA

Why Use Digital Signatures

Information

is being hacked and infringed

all the time.

To

provide Authenticity, Integrity and Nonrepudiation to electronic documents

Digital

signature gives a recipient reason to believe that the message was created by a known sender, and that it was not altered in transit.
be able to use the Internet as a safe

To

Digital Signature Uses

Commonly

used for software distribution

Financial transactions also use these signatures

where it is important to detect forgery or tampering.
Tax forms

Cases

Financial Aid

Make-up of Digital Signature

Private

Keys used for making digital signature

This key is only known by the owner

Public

keys used for verifying the digital signature

This key is publicly available to everyone
NO MINE! OK YOU CAN HAVE THIS ONE

Methods of Digital Signatures

Using

Keyed Hash function

Using

asymmetric key Cipher

the private key on a smart card.

Putting Using

smart card readers with a separate keyboard.

smart card designs. digital signatures only

Other Using

with trusted applications

Digital signature being applied and verified

Paper Signatures vs. Digital Signatures

Summary
Digital

Signatures are a way to protect important documents sent over the Web person has a pair of keys one public key known to anyone and a private key only know to the sender. thought of in the late 1970s

Each

First

They

are used on government documents and can be used on personal documents

References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitfield_Diffie

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffie%E2%80

%93Hellman_key_exchange
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_certificat

e
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_signatur