Digital Signatures and Electronic Signatures
Raymond R. Panko, University of Hawaii
Applicant, Verifier, and True Party
Creating the Digital Signature
Verifying the Digital Signature
Message Authentication Codes (MACs)
Creating a Message Authentication Code
Other Electronic Signature Technologies
Typed Signatures and Scanned Physical Signatures
Selecting an Electronic Signature Method
Legal and Regulatory Environment
INTRODUCTION
When we send letters, we sign them to indicate that they are from us. When we sign contracts, we are expressing our willingness to abide by the terms of the contract. We cannot later repudiate the contract because our signature binds us. Signing is also possible in the electronic world, and it generally serves the same purposes.
There are three related terms we use in this article. An electronic signature (e-signature) is any signing method that is used with computers and networks. It is the broadest concept. It includes such things as clicking a button to indicate that we accept the terms of a program's end user licensing agreement.
More narrowly, there are two general ways to add signature blocks to outgoing messages. Digital signatures ...
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