Importance Of Digital Signature

What Is The Importance Of Digital Signature?

Importance Of Digital Signature

Table Of Content

As we have already discussed in a blog, what do you mean by Digital Signature and how it works? In this Blog we are going to get to know the importance of Digital Signature. There are many major aspects which we will be covering in this blog. Digital Signatures need to be more aware by the citizens of India. The purpose of Digital Signature is to make India more of a digitized country where the documentation process can be easily through Online sources. 

What is Digital Signature in Cyber Security?

Digital Signature as you already know is a service that stops you from taking a hard way to sign your documents and enlightens you to the digital form of signing documents by sitting at your home. The importance of Digital Signature in cyber security is cryptographic response that is used to verify the authenticity of the signature.  A cryptographic signature signifies the importance of cyber security in Digital Signature. We all know that cyber security is important when you are giving Online service since not only your companies but the customers sensitive data is important to keep secure for the company’s goodwill as well as to prove the authenticity.

Types of Digital Signature

There are two types of cryptographic signature are:

  • Phone OTP Digital Signature: In this type of Digital Signature, to sign the document digitally an OTP is sent to the registered number. After entering the OTP your document will be signed digitally else it will be considered null and void.
Phone-based Digital Signature
  • Aadhaar Card OTP: If your respective number is linked to your aadhaar card then you can easily sign your document digitally. This method is the most authentic way of signing any document digitally.
Aadhaar-based Digital Signature

What is the Importance of Digital Signature?

Now we will be discussing the importance of online Digital Signatures in Online business that are:

  1. The Digital Signature is used in Government affairs also. Since the features of Digital Signature have proven the cost effective margin and high level security.  The government offices who are involved in digital documentation such as ebill, tax returns,ID cards etc. These documents are sensitive and by the usage of Digital Signature the involvement of the 3rd party is eliminated. The procedure can run smoothly without any hindrance.
  2. In Legal line, there are many cases which are sensitive and whose details can not be disclosed. The implementation of Digital Signature services the usage of papers along with the prices. The sensitive files can be preserved and destroyed easily and securely if needed.
  3. The Digital Signature has touched many working sectors such as financial institutions. Paperless banking has not only reduced the cost but working over your phones has made it more fragile. Taking loans and paying EMI are more feasible now.
  4. The Digital Signatures are used for blockchain authentication because cryptocurrencies are complex in nature. In order to verify bitcoin transaction data and demonstrate ownership, Digital Signatures are also employed.

How does Online Signature Work?

The Digital Signature algorithm works on many aspects. Unlike handwritten signatures no physical presence is needed in Digital Signatures, but the importance of Digital Signatures is as much as handwritten signatures. The Digital Signature services exclude the chances of tampering and forgery from the society. Digital Signatures function by demonstrating that a digital message or document has not been altered after it was signed, whether purposefully or unintentionally. To do this, Digital Signatures create a special hash of the message or document and encrypt it with the sender’s private key.

The key points that you might have to keep in mind are: 

  1. The Hash function shows a long fixed length number and alphabet string which is generated from a mathematical algorithm and a file of document, picture or emails, etc. The  string that has been generated is unique and the files being hashed are one-way functions. Once the file is hashed it can not be reversed to find other files which are generated from the same hash file. Some of the hash algorithms which are popular are: Secure hash algorithm (SHA), Message Digest 5 (MD5).
  2. In Public Key cryptography, it is a cryptography process which uses the key pair system. The first key, known as public key, encrypts data and the other key called private key, decrypts data, and gives the encrypted data into its original form. The public key cryptography can be used in several ways to know the authenticity, confidentiality and integrity.
  3.  Public Key Infrastructure comprises standards, policies and a system that supports the distributing public keys and using digital certificates and a certificate authority to verify the identity of people and entities. 
  4. A Certificate Authority is a dependable party that verifies the individual identification and either creates private/public key pair on the behalf of that individual or a person whose already key pair exists provides it to the other person. Once the certificate authority is validated then they are required to issue a digital certificate which should be digitally signed by CA. The digital certificate can be used to validate the individual who is associated with a public key when requested.
  5. In that they serve to identify the certificate holder, digital certificates are comparable to licenses. Digital certificates are digitally signed by a CA and contain the public key of the person or organization. The certificate may also contain other details about the entity, the person, and the CA. 
  6. PGP/OpenPGP is a replacement for PKI. Users “trust” other users with PGP/OpenPGP by signing certificates for individuals whose identities can be independently verified. The greater the degree of interconnection between these characteristics, the more likely it is to identify a certain internet user. It is known as the “Web of Trust.”

Now when we are done with Digital cryptographic signature. How we are supposed to apply for the Digital Signature, that we will be discussing below.

You can go through our detailed blog to know about whether digital signature is valid in India or not?

What are Digital Signature Documents?

Before the Digital Signature procedure, what documents you would be requiring that is important because without documents no process can take place:

You are required to have that document on which you need to sign along with the registered number that is linked with the aadhaar card or the phone number on which OTP.

How to Sign a Document using Digital Signature?

The steps how you are required to sign the Digital Signature procedure are:

  1. Visit our website www.edrafter.in 
  2. On the Homepage you will see the option of services. In which two options are given ‘Change of name’ and ‘Digital Signature’.
  3. Choose  ‘Digital Signature’ and the page of Digital Signature will pop up.
  4. There two services are given through which you can get your Digital Signature done. First through ‘Aadhaar Card OTP’ and second through ‘Phone OTP’.
  5. When you scroll a little more than you can see the option to ‘Upload document’. On which you have signed digitally.
  6. You are required to give your minimal important details. Make the payment and the digitally signed document will be mailed to your provided email ID’s. 

Simple to do. Your document is easily signed without much effort.

What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Signature?

The Pros and cons of Digital Signature are:

Benefits of Digital Signature are:

  1. Cost effective: The reduction in cost comes in effect drastically. 
  2. Paperless process: No paper is involved in the whole process.
  3. Security: One of the advantages of Digital Signature is security. The customers find it more secure in signing documents digitally rather than by hand signature.
  4. Time savings: The importance of Digital Signature is also that it saves a lot of time. It is easy to do the process online where within a few clicks your work can be done. 

The drawbacks of Digital Signature are:

There is no immediate drawback of use of Digital Signature. Just like every aspect has their drawbacks eventually the Digital Signature has its own but not vital which can be pointed out. Electronic signatures can take time sometimes since machinery things are sometimes unreliable.

Conclusion

In the end the importance of Digital Signatures in India has been widespread in the country. This is made clear that the use of Digital Signature in e-commerce is authentic and no tampering plus forgery can be done through this.

Author Name

Adrika Mishra – Content Writer

Adrika Mishra is a Content Writer with a passion for writing crisps and well researched pieces. With a graduate degree in Mass Communication and over a year of hands-on experience in writing content for the web. Adrika is a person brimming with creative instincts. Constantly seeking to learn and grow, she uses writing as a medium to document her knowledge on topics she is passionate about. When not working, Adrika can be found grooving to music. Believing in the power of “The pen is mightier than the sword”, Adrika hopes to inspire and educate readers through her writing.