Digital Signatures

The definitive guide to digital signature applications and implementations

Learn to implement digital signature applications successfully and conduct secure electronic transactions with help from this expert resource. Written by both technical and legal specialists--and endorsed from the most trusted leader in e-security--this book provides you with an unmatched level of combined insight that is both invaluable and practical. Youll find details on all key topics including public key cryptography, data integrity, public key infrastructures, message authentication standards, business drivers and business models, current worldwide legislation, and PKI documentation (certificate policies, certification practice statements, and agreements).Youll also learn how to avoid problems when implementing digital signatures.

• Recognize the four goals of security--confidentiality, authentication, integrity, and non-repudiation
  
• Get an overview of cryptography and learn the differences between keys and passwords
  
• Discover how digital signatures work and why they are used
  
• Learn about X.509 public-key certificates and directory structures
  
• Explore the technical issues--interoperability, accurate timestamps, credential roll-overs, and others
  
• Understand the business drivers for digital signature use and impediments to adoption
  
• Read about different business models for using digital signatures, such as B2B, B2C, and C2C/P2P
  
• Find out about current standards and implementations
  
• Gain insight into the legal issues that businesses today face regarding digital signatures
  
• Survey different kinds of documentation supporting a PKI and digital signatures, including certificate policies, certification practice statements, and various kinds of agreements
  

Keep valuable information secure and authenticate your users with digital signatures and certificates--using the most authoritative guide available

For more information on RSA Press titles, visit www.RSAPress.com

Contents            

   Ch. 1: Introduction to Digital Signatures
   Ch. 2: Cryptography Overview
   Ch. 3: Public-Key Infrastructure
   Ch. 4: Digital Signatures and Data Integrity
   Ch. 5: The Digital Signature beyond Security
   Ch. 6: Technical Issues
   Ch. 7: Business Issues
   Ch. 8: Standards and Implementations
   Ch. 9: Current U.S. and Worldwide Legislation
   Ch. 10: Legal Issues

  Appendices
    Appendix A: The Complete US E-Sign Act
    Appendix B: The Complete UN Model Law on E-Commerce
    Appendix C: Digital Signature Legislation Matrix