Digital signatures are used to authenticate (authenticate: The process of verifying that people and products are who and what they claim to be. For example, confirming the source and integrity of a software publisher’s code by verifying the digital signature used to sign the code.) digital information — such as documents, e-mail messages, and VBA macros — by using cryptography delivered through a GlobalSign Digital ID. Digital signatures help to establish the following assurances:
- Authenticity – the digital signature helps to assure that the signer (such as the document author or the email sender) is who he or she claims to be.
- Integrity – the digital signature helps to assure that the content of the document or email has not been changed or tampered with since it was digitally signed.
- Non-repudiation – the digital signature helps to prove to all parties the origin of the signed content. “Repudiation” refers to the act of a signer’s denying any association with the signed content.
