Maintaining security when browsing the Internet or using any service is important. To avoid problems we usually use passwords, although there are also other authentication methods such as fingerprint or facial recognition. However, there is something else that can help protect our account and identify us: digital signatures . They are increasingly present and have advantages, although they also generate doubts.
Advantages of digital signatures
What is a digital signature? It is basically a contract that you make with an online service in which they ask you to sign. It is the same as any physical document in which you have to stamp your signature, but in this case you do it from your computer or mobile . We can say that it is a way to replicate the usual signature, but electronically.
Keep in mind that businesses have modernized and it is increasingly common to carry out procedures over the Internet. Instead of going physically to a place, simply by having a network connection we will be able to sign documents and carry out any action that previously required a lot of time.
Therefore, we can say that the first advantage is to facilitate online contracts . For example, create a bank account, instead of going to the office physically (in many cases there will not even be where we live), we simply enter their website, continue the process and electronically sign the documents.
Another advantage is security . Signing online is safer than doing it physically. They are generally based on cryptography with two keys: private and public. Once the signature is done, the user is using the private signature and assigns the recipient as the owner of the public key. A possible intruder could not access that public key and, therefore, could not supplant the signature by not being able to sign the document. It relies on mathematical methods to ensure that the signature is authentic.
If you think of a physical signature, it really is much easier to forge. Just have someone copy and sign it for you. Even the person or entity with whom we are signing a contract, such as a bank, would not have the facility to know if it is true or not. Digital signatures will have greater traceability, protection against fraud and dual verification.
The future is digital signatures
We say that digital signatures are already widely used, but the truth is that we are entering a time when it will increase even more . Using digital signatures is going to become something really common, even for common contracts that we make. Its security, ease and speed make it not only an alternative to traditional signatures, but an improvement.
Does this mean that it is impossible to crack a digital signature? The truth is that in cybersecurity there is nothing 100% reliable. There can always be some small vulnerability that can arise and pose a problem for the privacy of users. Digital signatures, although they are very secure, can have a problem at some point. But this is something that can happen in almost any situation in life, be it with physical transactions or through the network.
Whenever you use digital signatures or any online service, it is essential that you take certain measures . For example that you keep the systems protected and updated. This will prevent the entry of malware and you will have less risk of security problems that may affect you. Similarly, common sense will always be essential to avoid making mistakes.
