A Digital Signature is an electronic signature that can be used to authenticate the identity of the sender of a message or the signer of a document and possibly to ensure that the original content of the message or document has been sent is unchanged. Digital signatures are easily transportable cannot be imitated by someone else and can be automatically time-stamped. The ability to ensure that the original signed message arrived means that the sender cannot easily repudiate it later.
A Digital Signature can be used with any kind of message whether it is encrypted or not simply so that the receiver can be sure of the sender’s identity and that the message arrived intact. A Digital Certificate contains the digital signature of the certificate-issuing authority so that anyone can verify that the certificate is real.
A Digital Signature Certificate is normally valid for 2 year, after which renewal is required these certificate are accepted for MCA 21, E-filing, IFFCO, Northern Railway, DGFT , E-tendering etc.
Digital Signature Certificate type of Class 2, Class 3 and DGFT each having different level of security.
- Class 2 used for e-filing of Income tax, Roc and sale tax
- Class 3 is used for E-tendering accepted in Northern Railways. IFFCO etc
- DGFT for used by users who communicate with DGFT Director General of foreign trade website