How to obtain the digital signature

Would you like to have a digital signature but you still don’t know how to move in this direction? Would you like some clarification on the functioning of this technology and its real applications in the field of communications between private citizens, professionals and businesses? No problem, that’s why I’m here today. If you dedicate a few minutes of your free time to me, I will explain to you what the digital signature is, what its main characteristics are and – more importantly – I will show you the correct procedure to obtain it. I assure you that everything is much simpler than you imagine.

For the sake of completeness of information, let’s immediately say that the digital signature, as the name suggests, is a tool thanks to which citizens, professionals and businesses can sign electronic documents, giving them legal value. Its functioning is based on three fundamental principles: that of authenticity , as it ensures the identity of the person or company that signs a document; that of integrity , as it ensures that the signed documents have not been modified after signature, and that of non-repudiation , as a document signed by electronic signature cannot be “denied” by the person who signed it.

To take advantage of the digital signature you need to purchase a special kit, which as we will see shortly can be composed of various devices, and you must activate it by verifying your identity. Find everything explained below. If you want to know more and want to find out in detail how to get the digital signature , read on.

Index

• What type of electronic signature to choose
• The digital signature kit
• How to have a digital signature
• How to use the digital signature

What type of electronic signature to choose

Before getting to the heart of the tutorial and seeing how to obtain a digital signature, it is good to specify that the digital signature is only a type of electronic signature, which is distinguished in various forms and can have a different legal value from case to case.

What is commonly called electronic signature is the simplest type of electronic signature, which assumes a certain legal value only if it is certified by a judge. In short, it does not provide for the use of particular security measures, it does not allow to be sure of the integrity of the document and therefore does not have a certain legal value like that of other electronic signatures.

One step further is the advanced electronic signature which has a certain legal value (except for real estate contracts) as it provides for the signing of documents with means that allow to demonstrate the integrity of the document and on which the signatory keeps a exclusive control (e.g. a tablet owned by him).

Even further up there are the qualified electronic signature which is applied to documents by qualified means (e.g. the digital signature kits which we will discuss shortly) and the digital electronic signature which, on the other hand, combines the characteristics of the advanced electronic signature with the use of asymmetric cryptography systems (those in which a pair of cryptographic keys, one public and one private, is used to verify the integrity and originality of documents).

The qualified electronic signature and digital electronic signature make it possible to verify with certainty the identity of the person who signed a document, constitute an absolute guarantee for the originality and integrity of the document and, therefore, have a certain legal value. It is on them that we will focus today.

Furthermore, the availability of the CNS certificate (National Service Card) which is included in various digital signature kits and allows authentication on the services of the Public Administration should be emphasized . For some categories of professionals, such as lawyers, it is even mandatory to access some ministerial services. The CNS certificate can also allow the electronic signature of documents, but with variable legal value: there are some types of CNS that support advanced electronic signature and other types that only support simple electronic signature.

Another important thing to underline is that the electronic signature is NOT synonymous with PEC . The PEC is certified e-mail, which does not need a kit to be used and gives legal value (equal to that of a registered letter with return receipt) only to e-mail messages, not to individual documents as the digital signature does. . If you want to know more, read my guide on how to register a PEC address .

The digital signature kit

As amply pointed out above, to obtain the digital signature, a special kit must be purchased; kit that can be composed of various types of devices and that can have variable prices, generally between 30 and 60 euros.

The digital signature kits are generally composed of a smart card that includes the digital signature certificate (which expires and therefore must be renewed every few years, generally every 3 years) and a device that reads the smart card and allows apply digital signature. The drivers and software needed to digitally sign may be included in the kit or available separately for download.

The most complete type of kit is the one in USB key format , which often includes the smart card with the digital signature certificate (in SIM format), all the software necessary to apply and verify the signature and, in addition, offers some space for document filing. Alternatively, there is the more classic kit consisting of smart card and external smart card reader , which is rather bulky (it is mainly intended for use in the desktop environment) but costs less. If you already have a USB token or smart card reader, you can also skip the purchase of the full signature kit and only buy the smart card with the signature certificate.

A separate discussion, then, deserves the kits for remote digital signature , which allow you to sign documents without using physical keys or smart cards by exploiting the potential of the cloud. In a nutshell, you buy a virtual smart card and, when you need to sign a document, you use it by entering a disposable password to be generated via an OTP key (a key similar to that provided by banks ), smartphone app or by receiving an SMS.

How to have a digital signature

After understanding the main differences between the various types of electronic signature and the various types of kits that can be purchased, I would say that we can go to the point and see how to obtain the digital signature. The procedure to follow is quite similar for all certification bodies (i.e. all companies that sell digital signature kits), but for safety I recommend that you carefully read the instructions on the websites of the individual bodies. Below you will find described all the steps that must be taken according to the standard procedure.

1. Buy the digital signature kit– as you can easily guess, the first step you need to take is to buy the digital signature kit that best suits your needs. You must therefore choose which certification body to contact, you must connect to the latter’s website and you must choose one of the signature kits available.

Among the most important certification bodies I point out Aruba , Poste Italiane and InfoCert , but there are many others: you can find the complete list on the Agency for Digital Italy website . Furthermore, if you are a business owner, you can request a digital signature kit directly from the Chamber of Commerce of your city. For more information go to Google and search for “digital signature of the chamber of commerce [your city name]”.

After choosing the kit you are interested in, you will need to create an account on the website of the certifying body and you will have to complete the purchase of the kit by credit card, rechargeable card or PayPal (depending on the payment methods accepted by the body) by providing all your personal data and the data of a valid identity document .

2. Verify your identity and activate the kit– to start using a digital signature kit you need to verify your identity. Verification can take place in various ways (to be indicated when purchasing the kit).

• Through Public Official– by going to the Municipality with a valid identity document and the documentation received from the certifying body. Identification takes place through a Public Official and involves the purchase of a revenue stamp.
• Via the shipping center or post office– by going to a courier center chosen by the certifying body for the delivery of the kit. Valid ID must be provided and a small fee must be paid to complete the application.
• At home– it is possible to be identified directly by the postman upon delivery of the digital signature kit by providing a valid identity document and signing the documentation delivered together with the kit.
• Via Web– some certification bodies, such as InfoCert for example, allow recognition via the Web, using the computer’s webcam.

3. Activate the digital signature kit– after verifying your identity, you must activate the digital signature kit by connecting to the website of the certifying body and providing the requested data (generally this is the serial code of the smart card, tax code and some documents relating to identity verification). The procedure changes from certification body to certification body, so follow the instructions on the website of the company where you purchased your kit.

How to use the digital signature

Mission accomplished! You were able to obtain the digital signature and activate it. To start using your kit, now, download the drivers necessary and software and use them to give legal value to your documents. If you have purchased a USB kit that already includes the signature software inside, you can also skip the step related to downloading the drivers and signature software and start signing your documents right away!

The procedure for applying the digital signature is very simple. Generally it is enough to start the signature software, click on the button to apply the signature and select the documents to be authenticated. You can select PDF files, Word documents and other types of text files.

For the output format, i.e. the format of the files to be obtained after signing, you can choose between P7M encryption envelope (a file in P7M format that contains the original document plus the digital signature files), PDF (with signature visible on the document or invisible) or XML .

If you need more detailed information on how to digitally sign a document , please read the tutorial I dedicated to the subject: there you will find all the information you need.