The digital signature allows us to sign documents, being a personal and non-transferable identification. Like the Digital Mobile Key, it can be used to digitally sign PDF, Word, and other uses that we present here.
To create a digital signature for documents we need, first of all, a service with a Digital ID certificate, with several authenticated platforms. Once the certified signature has been created, its applications are increasingly diverse.
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Start by choosing the certified Digital ID service
First of all, it is necessary to choose a Digital ID service. They are certified platforms that validate and enable the digital signature of documents, guaranteeing the security and exclusivity of the signature.
- DocuSign
- Multicert
- GeoTrust
- Sectigo
- Global Sign – for Microsoft Office
Above are listed some of the main Digital ID services that, in addition to helping to prove identity, also allow electronic signature of documents. As a rule, these digital certificates are valid for one year.
The choice of the Digital ID service is up to the user, choosing what he considers simplest in the steps to make a valid digital signature. That done, we can sign the documents with three ways to do so .
1. Citizen Card
The Citizen Card allows you to insert the digital signature, but for this, you must have a physical device, the card reader, as well as the necessary software.
Once the document to be authenticated is ready, simply connect the card reader to the computer, insert the Citizen Card, select the signature certificate, insert the signature code, and confirm your insertion.
With the reader properly connected and the software installed, just follow these steps:
- Choose the document to sign
- Insert the Citizen Card into the card reader
- Select the Digital Signature certificate
- Enter the subscription PIN code
- Confirm
The Portuguese State recognizes the validity of digital signatures made with the Citizen Card or Digital Mobile Key (itself a means of authentication), having the same legal value as a signature by hand.
2. Adobe Reader/Acrobat (PDF)
The user can insert his digital signature in PDF documents in a simple way in publishers like Acrobat, or readers like Adobe’s Acrobat Reader. To do this, it is important to follow these steps:
- Open / create a new PDF document
- Access Tools – Fill and Sign – Sign
- Follow the instructions presented – scan, type, or draw the name
- Finally, it is possible to adjust the size of the signature or change its position within the document
Adobe software is intuitive and full of functions, allowing you to authenticate documents, in addition to creating, editing, among other options and safeguards related to PDF documents.
In addition to Adobe software, you can digitally sign documents with competing programs. Among these, we highlight the Foxit Reader, PDFpen, Nitro Pro, or PDFelement. These editors allow the placement of the digital signature.
3. Microsoft Word
- Open/create a new Word document
- From the toolbar, select the ” Insert ” option and then ” Signature Line “
- Fill in the fields displayed in the window
- Position the signature in the desired location, as if it were an image
- If it is the first time that you insert the digital signature, just double-click the “X” shown before the signature field. Finally, just write the name and add the image provided by the Digital ID services.
The 5 advantages of digital signature
1. Guaranteed identity. The digital signature is a particular type of electronic signature that meets certain legal requirements. In this way, it guarantees a high level of security, thus attesting to the identity of the signatory in question.
2. Enhanced security. The digital signatures and the documents they refer to are linked by encryption. In other words, they are protected by an inviolable mechanism and cannot be dissociated.
3 . Ease of validation. After the creation of the digital signature, the signed document and the respective signature can be revalidated for more than ten years, guaranteeing its integrity and lasting validity.
4 . Trust and compliance. Digital signatures, or digital IDs, are based on certificates provided by authenticated and accredited providers to ensure that this identification has legal value, is real, and is proven.
5. Exclusivity. The digital signature, combined with the password and the digital certificate, guarantees that this means of authentication is exclusive to the user, proving his non-transferable identity.
The digital signature is a type of electronic signature
The electronic signature, or e-signature, has a more general meaning, comprising any electronic process that signals the acceptance of a contract. For example, the digital signature is a specific type of electronic signature.
It is worth noting that the digital signature is personal and non-transferable, serving as personal identification. It is encrypted when created from a computer, so it takes several steps to ensure its authenticity.
This need for exclusivity obliges the interested party to, first of all, choose an accredited digital ID service and, only then, create their digital signature. This is usually accompanied by a secret code (PIN).
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