Digital Signatures Security and Control

9781893209060

1893209067

In the electronic communication environment it is essential to be able to establish that the signatory of a message is indeed its originator. This detailed publication on the security & control issues of digital signatures addresses all of the vital components which are relevant to the IT audit & control community. It is written by experts in cryptography to explain what digital signatures are, how they work, & unresolved issues in their use & includes audit programs. While there are publications covering the technical aspect of digital signatures, this is one of the first that also addresses other related matters such as legal, audit & control issues related to the technology. There is still much to be done to develop a trusted environment for eBusiness over the Internet. Digital signatures rely on a public key infrastructure (PKI), in which certificate authorities act as trusted third-parties for identification & authentication. Standards to govern both public key technologies & PKI practices & procedures are required & perhaps most importantly the legal environment which underpins business needs to respond to these technological developments to ensure legal recognition of digital signatures.