Electronic signature has become a must-have tool for doing business. In this article, we will talk about the types of digital signatures, how to obtain them, and their applications.
What is an electronic signature?
The electronic signature is intended to identify the person who signed the electronic document and is a full-fledged replacement of a handwritten signature in cases stipulated by law. It is a special attribute of a document that allows you to establish the absence of information distortion in it from the moment the ES was formed and to confirm that the ES belongs to the owner. The value of the attribute is obtained as a result of the cryptographic transformation of information. For individuals, this is a convenient way to interact with government agencies, employers, and universities.
The holder of the electronic signature is issued a specialized digital medium – a USB token, which looks like a regular flash drive, and a certificate in paper and electronic versions. To work with an electronic signature, you will need to install special software on your computer.
What is required to sign an electronic document?
- The final version of the document is to be signed. Once the signature is created, it cannot be changed.
- A valid qualified electronic signature certificate. Within the framework of Russian legislation, a qualified electronic signature is the only type of signature that gives a document legal force without additional agreements between the parties to the electronic document flow.
- Means of electronic signature. Electronic signature technology implies the use of a set of software tools that the owner of the signature installs on his computer.
How to use an electronic signature?
The process of signing an EDS document differs depending on the program in which it was created or edited. At the same time, special certificates issued by the organization that registered the digital signature must first be installed on your computer. Let`s analyze how to add a digital signature to a web form with the help of the CryptoARM app.
In the CryptoARM program, you can sign one file or a whole folder of files. There are the following steps:
- In the main window, open the Signature section.
- Select Add Signature. The New Query Wizard will open. Review the procedure and requirements for creating a signature.
- To simplify your work, you can select one of the already installed settings for signing from the list. If you want to use the selected default setting in the future, check the Use default setting item.
- Select a folder with files or a separate file that you want to sign (the Add folder and Add file buttons, respectively).
- Enter the required properties of the added signature
- Select the certificate to add the signature, i.e. your personal certificate. The hash algorithm will be determined automatically.
- After collecting data for adding a signature, a window will appear with information about the status of the operation and about the parameters used: the certificate with which the file was signed. Click on the “Finish” button to continue.
- The data will be signed using your certificate. The process of signing the file will begin. You can interrupt it by clicking on the “Cancel” button.
- After the completion of the operation, the window “Result of the operation”. To view detailed information about the results of adding a signature and the parameters used: the name of the source file, the name of the output file, the status of the operation completion.