File:Private_key_signing.svg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
digital signature
Sign in to saveAlso known as cryptographic signature
mathematical scheme for verifying the authenticity of digital documents
A digital signature is a mathematical tool that proves a digital document is genuine and hasn't been tampered with, similar to how a handwritten signature verifies a paper document. It matters because it lets people and organizations confirm that files, emails, and online transactions actually come from who they claim to come from.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Wikidata facts
- Subclass of
- identifier
- Part of
- cryptography
- Image
- Private key signing.svg
- Has use
- electronic signature
Show 6 more facts
- Stack Exchange tag
- crypto.stackexchange.com/tags/signature
- topic's main category
- Category:Digital signature
- different from
- electronic signature
- Commons category
- Digital signature
- P13411
- Alessandro Del Piero
via Wikidata · CC0
~27 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Alice signs a message—"Hello Bob!"—by appending a signature which is computed from the message and her private key.
Bob receives both the message and signature. He uses Alice's public key to verify the authenticity of the signed message.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “digital signature” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.