The Difference Between Electronic vs Digital Signatures - Tech Tips

The Difference Between Electronic vs Digital Signatures

As technology is advancing, we are now using a lot of digital documentation. You might have come across these two-terms electronic signature and digital signature. Often people use them interchangeably and consider them as the same. However, both of these signatures are drastically different from each other. You can easily understand electronic signatures but digital signatures are a bit complex. In this article, we will try to explain the difference between electronic vs digital signatures in easy words. Signature is simply a proof for the receiver that a correct person, has sent the documents or message.

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Electronic vs Digital Signatures

Electronic Signatures

Any authentication you perform electronically is considered an electronic signature. In simple words, our social media credentials, ATM pin, or anything such as a contract that we sign electronically is our electronic signatures. Even checking in with your fingerprint for attendance is an electronic signature. You only have to perform one or two simple steps to use an electronic signature for authentication. A digital signature is also an electronic signature however its a bit more complex.

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Digital Signatures

Digital signatures are a much more secure as it utilizes a pair of two keys to encrypt and decrypt a message. In this method two keys are used one is public and the other is private. The public key that you created will be used by an entity or organization to verify that the correct person is sending the information. The person uses his private key and his message and creates a digital signature by using a digital signature generation algorithm to send it to the receiver. On the other side, the receiver uses the senders public key and decrypt it through a digital signature verification algorithm to verify that the message came from the correct person.

Easy Explanation for Digital Signatures

In easy words, when you create your digital signature you create two keys one is public which you will upload to the organization website and the other one is private which you will use to encrypt something. Now when you send a document to someone after encrypting them with your private key the receiver will verify that it was received from the correct person by using the public key that you uploaded. If the public key decrypts and validates your Digital signature than the receiver will know that the current person sent it.

The public key will be visible for the organization or person receiving your document. However, they don’t know what your private key is. But the public key you uploaded will know that what your private key is and can verify it. So, you encrypt the data in your private key and your public key will be able to verify the private.  This is how the process works

Digital Signature Process

  • You create your digital signature with both public and private keys.
  • Upload the public key to the organization website.
  • Create a Message and Use your Private key to encrypt it using the Digital Signature Generation Algorithm
  • You will now upload the document the organization website. The receiver will need to verify that the document came form you.
  • He/she verifies it by using the public key that you uploaded. The public key verifies that it came directly from you by verifying your encrypted private key in the message by using the Digital Signature Verification Algorithm.

So in short Electronic Signatures are simple and quick. On other hand, Digital Signatures are complex and provides the highest level of security. You can use software such as Adobe sign to create these signatures. In this article we tried to explain the difference between electronic vs digital signatures. If there is still any confusion please comment down below we will try our best to help you out.

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About the Author: Zeeshan Khan

Zeeshan is a Journalist, Computer Geek and a Technology Enthusiast with a knack for Writing. He is currently working as a Technical Writer for AIIT Solutions and techhowtodo.com.

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