What is Digital Certificate?
A Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) is a secure digital key that certifies the identity of the holder, issued by a Certifying Authority (CA). It typically contains your identity (name, email, country, APNIC account name and your public key). Digital Certificates use Public Key Infrastructure meaning data that has been digitally signed or encrypted by a private key can only be decrypted by its corresponding public key. A digital certificate is an electronic "credit card" that establishes your credentials when doing business or other transactions on the Web.
Why eMudhra Digital Certificate?
eMudhra is a Certifying Authority (CA) authorised by the Controller of Certifying Authority (CCA) for issuance of Digital Signature Certificates in India. eMudhra provides Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 Digital Signature Certificates (DSC) along with digital signatures for specific needs such as Income Tax filing, MCA, e-tendering, e-procurement and Foreign Trade.
Types of Digital Signature Certificates provided by eMudhra
Class 2 Certificates
As e-filing is made compulsory in ROC, every director / signing authority needs to have their Digital Signature Certificate. Its now mandatory to obtain Class-2 or Class-2 with PAN Encryption Digital Signature Certificate for any person who is required to sign manual documents and returns filed with ROC as per MCA21. Also an Individual is required to obtain Class-2 DSC with PAN Encryption for e-filing his return with Income Tax, India.
Class 3 Certificates
Class 3 Digital Signature Certificate is the upgraded version of Class 2 Digital Signature Certificate. By Using This Certificate You can Participate/Bid in Any Kind of On-line Tenders/Auction across India. To participate in the e-tendering process, every vendor is required to use a Class 3 Digital Signatures Certificate.
What is an eToken?
USB e-Token can be password protected so that Digital Signature is never lost when computer is formatted or internet explorer changed. A virus cannot affect USB Token, and the digital certificate stored would always be secure. As per CCA's Office Order, with effective from 7th December, 2013, eMudhra will be issuing Class 2 and 3 Digital Signature Certificates (DSC) only on FIPS 140-2 level 2 certified crypto tokens. eMudhra recommends TrustKey tokens. Trust Key token which is the most accepted, secure and widely used token device in India for storing your Digital Signatures
Difference between Encryption and Signing
Message encryption provides confidentiality. Allows users to encrypt document with the public key which can be decrypted only with the corresponding private key. To put it in simple terms when encrypting, you use their public key to write message and recipient uses their private key to read it. One of the most secure way protecting confidential documents.
Message signing binds the identity of the message source to this message. It ensures data integrity, message authentication, and non-repudiation altogether. When signing, you use your private key to write message's signature, and they use your public key to check if it's really yours.
Digital Certificates for Signing & Encryption