More About Digital Signature and Certification

Unlike Electronic or handwritten signatures digital signature is the result of encryption of the message and sender details. Digital Signature is a result of cartographical technology that specializes in mathematical encryption techniques.

Digital signatures are a recent phenomenon that has emerged after years of development in the USA. The technique employs a key pair system, namely the private key and the public key. The technology is simple to use and can be used by anyone using a computer.

Hash Algorithm

The sender uses the message or document to be encrypted and using a hash algorithm creates the encryption that humans cannot read. The hash algorithms are computer programs that mathematically encrypt the message or document to make it human unreadable. These algorithms are one-way programs created using a private the private key that creates the encrypted data which only a public key can unravel. The private key, as the name suggests, is kept as a secret by the sender while the public key is sent to the receiver so that he or she can unravel the message or the document and read it.

If in case the message being sent over an electronic messaging system falls into wrong hands the manipulation can be easily detected as the public key sent by the sender will not work. The hash value changes after manipulation the sender's public key does not work. The digital signature is a legal entity

Hash Algorithms follow a process

• The user determines what has to be hashed
• Chose a hash algorithm among many
• The message is sent to the algorithm in the computer
• The message is encrypted after the hash algorithm has been started
• The hash or message digest is encrypted within seconds and is ready to be sent to the recipient.

The algorithms are used for password storage, digital signatures, and document management. Some of the hash algorithms are MD5, RIPEMD, WHIRLPOOL, SHA, and, SHA256.

In digital signature hash algorithms generate an encrypted form of document or message to be sent. The has is encrypted by using a private key and it can only be decrypted using the public. Any manipulation is immediately found out.

Digital signatures are certified for legal use by a CA or Certifying Authority. The Digital Signature Certification so obtained is fit enough for legal use. You can apply for Digital Signature Certification at the nearest CA. The application is sent along with photo IDS and address proof. The certificate is issued for a charge and is valid for one year.