Digital signature

A digital signature is a mathematical scheme for verifying the authenticity of digital messages or documents. A valid digital signature on a message gives a recipient confidence that the message came from a sender known to the recipient.[1][2]

Digital signatures are a type of public-key cryptography, and are commonly used for software distribution,[3][4][5] financial transactions, contract management software, and in other cases where it is important to detect forgery or tampering.

A digital signature on a message or document is similar to a handwritten signature on paper, but it is not restricted to a physical medium like paper—any bitstring can be digitally signed—and while a handwritten signature on paper could be copied onto other paper in a forgery, a digital signature on a message is mathematically bound to the content of the message so that it is infeasible for anyone to forge a valid digital signature on any other message.[6]

Digital signatures are often used to implement electronic signatures, which include any electronic data that carries the intent of a signature,[7] but not all electronic signatures use digital signatures.[8][9]

  1. ^ Goldwasser, Shafi; Bellare, Mihir (July 2008). "Chapter 10: Digital signatures" (PDF). Lecture Notes on Cryptography. p. 168. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-04-20. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  2. ^ Katz, Jonathan; Lindell, Yehuda (2007). "Chapter 12: Digital Signature Schemes". Introduction to Modern Cryptography. p. 399.
  3. ^ Boneh, Dan; Shoup, Victor (January 2023). "13. Digital Signatures". A Graduate Course in Applied Cryptography (PDF) (Version 0.6 ed.).
  4. ^ "§ 7.5. Package signing in Debian". Securing Debian Manual. Debian Project. Archived from the original on 2025-06-11. Retrieved 2025-07-17.
  5. ^ "Distributing your app to registered devices". Apple Developer Documentation. Apple, Inc. Archived from the original on 2024-03-13. Retrieved 2025-07-17.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference stinson3e2006digsigs was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "US ESIGN Act of 2000" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-05-22. Retrieved 2006-05-10.
  8. ^ State of WI Archived 2006-09-25 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ National Archives of Australia Archived November 9, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
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