Digital Signatures and India

Digital Signature is an asymmetric key crypto-system (pair of public and private key) used for generating “encrypted message hash” which is used as signature for a document, picture, file, etc. Digital Signature provides authentication (ensures the authenticity of the originator of message), non-repudiation (persons signing the document can’t deny at any stage) and integrity (message has not been altered/changed after creation).

Digital Signatures have been provided legal recognition in India through Information Technology Act 2000 (http://deity.gov.in/content/information-technology-act). One of the objectives of the IT Act is to promote the use of Digital Signatures in e-Commerce and e-Governance. Section 3 of IT Act 2000 provides that Digital Signatures can be used for authenticating the electronic record and Section 5 provides legal sanctity to Digital Signature. It implies that the digital signatures are now accepted at par with handwritten signatures and the electronic documents that have been digitally signed are treated at par with paper documents.

Person requires Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) for digitally signing the document.

Classes of DSCs: Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3

Types of DSCs: Individual DSC, Server DSC and Encryption Certificates.

DSC can be obtained from Certifying Authority (CA) or Sub-CA. DSC can be obtained in various forms/ modes such as Soft Certificates (stored in computer), Smart Card or USB crypto token. CA is authorized by Controller of Certifying Authority (CCA) . CCA is an Apex Body created by the IT Act. CCA issues license and regulate the working of CAs. CCA maintains the following repositories:

• National Repository of Digital Certificates (NRDC)
• Certificate Suspension and Revocation List (CRL)

Following CAs are licensed by CCA to issue DSC to end-user:

Name of CA	Website
(n) Code Solutions	https://www.ncodesolutions.com
eMudhra	www.e-Mudhra.com
Institute of Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT)	www.idrbtca.org.in
MTNL CA services	www.mtnltrustline.com
National Informatics Center (NIC)	www.nic.in
Safescrypt	www.safescrypt.com
TCS CA services	www.tcs-ca.tcs.co.in