After inserting the Token, Open a Blank Internet Explorer Page. Go To -> Tools -> Internet Options->Content ->Certificates

• Name and Expiry Date can be seen
• Select View and you can browse through different pages (1) General, (2) Details and (3) Certificate Path to see the various details of Digital Signature. Major items to be noticed are
• In General Page you will notice “You have a private key that corresponds to this Certificate”
• In Details page go to “Valid to” and see the time up to which your Digital Signature is Valid

In Details page go to “Subject” and see the following details S = WEST BENGAL (Name of State), C = IN (Country), Postal Code = 700150 (Pincode of Address) CN = SANJEEV PODDAR (Name of Subscriber) O = Personal (Individual Certificate) or O = Name of Organsation, OU = Organisation UNIT SERIALNUMBER = 9E81DC65B11C9ADEC279CF267759644EE972D58A3493983C1926D578AF608EC0

• In Certificate Path see the following details

You can see the Certificate Path from CCA India on Top and Subscriber at Last and in between, the name of Certifying Authority and also Sub Certifying Authority if any. In the Certificate Status you will see “This certificate is OK”

A digital signature is a convenient, time-saving, and secure way of signing electronic documents.

——-BEGIN SIGNATURE—— IQB1AwUBMVSiA5QYCuMfgNYjAQFAKgL/ZkBfbeNEsbthba4BlrcnjaqbcKgNv+ a5kr4537y8RCd+RHm75yYh5xxA1ojELwNhhb7cltrp2V7LlOnAelws4S87UX80c LBtBcN6AACf11qymC2h+Rb2j5SU+rmXWru+=QFMx ——END SIGNATURE——

An electronic document is any document that is generated or stored on a computer, such as a letter, a contract, or any such document. In addition, an electronic document can be an image, such as a blueprint, a survey plat, a drawing, or even a photograph. A digital signature can be used to sign these documents.

It’s a simple process and may vary slightly in the software you use, but your digital signature does all the work. You finalize the document, then select the signature option, and finally enter your secret password. Everything is accomplished electronically; you do not take a pen in hand and sign a paper.

An application for the digital signature certificate is required to be made to any one of the Licensed Certifying Authority in their prescribed Form accompanied by Proof for identification and other verifications as may be prescribed.

When you use your digital signature software, you use a matched pair of keys. One is the “private” key, which is typically stored in your cryptographic device. The private key is used only by you and is required during the signing process. It creates a Message Digest using Hash function of the signed document and the Public Key gets appended to the Signed document and remains there till the Message Digest is not altered. A Message Digest gets altered when we alter the contents of the document. The second key is the “public” key. The public key is available for use by anyone wishing to authenticate documents you sign. The public key will “read” the digital signature (Message Digest) created by the private key and verify the authenticity of documents created with it. By verifying the Public key, the identity of the signer can be established.

No. Your private key is encrypted when it is stored in the device. When you sign an electronic document, you enter a digital signature Authorization Code to decrypt the private key for as long as it takes to sign the document. If someone learns of your Authorization Code and also has access to the device holding your private key, the integrity of your private key is compromised. In this case you should revoke your digital signature certificate and obtain another. This would be the same as reporting a stolen or lost credit card.

Yes. As many times as you want, you can change the Authorization Code of the Device. However, care should be taken to remember it.

Not likely. It is protected by encryption. We like to think that a handwritten signature is unique to the signer and to the pieces of paper which hold it. What if someone produces a good likeness of your handwritten signature? Or, what if on a long contract, someone changes the text of the pages previous to the signature page? In these instances, the signature is valid, but the document has been altered. With digital signatures, forgery is next to impossible – much more difficult than forging a handwritten signature. First, a digital signature is more of a process than just affixing a signature. For example, when the document is “digitally signed,” the digital software scans the document and creates a calculation which represents the document. This calculation becomes part of the “digital signature.” When the recipient authenticates the signature, a similar process is carried out. The sender’s and the receiver’s calculations are then compared. If the results are the same, the signature is valid; if they are different, the signature is not valid.

The subscriber is responsible for safeguarding access to the private key.

No, there is no threat to the security of the owner / users digital signature, as the private key lies on the smartcard /crypto token and does not leave the Smart Card / crypto token.

Yes. On moving from one department to another, if the procedures in place so demand, the existing certificate will be revoked and a new one issued.

Under the IT Act, 2000 Digital Signatures are at par with hand written signatures. Therefore, similar court proceedings will be followed.

A new message saying that the current message supersedes the earlier one can be sent to the recipient(s). This assumes that all messages are time stamped.

Signing an e-mail message means that you attach your Digital Certificate to it so that the recipient knows it came from you and was not tampered with en-route to their inbox. Signing authenticates a message, but it does not provide protection against third party monitoring. Encrypting a message means scrambling it in such a way that only the designated recipients can unscramble it. This safeguards messages against monitoring or interception. In order to send a signed message, you must have a Digital Certificate. Since message encryption is done using specific keys available in the certificate, you cannot encrypt a message unless you possess the recipient’s Digital Signature Public key.