Digital certificate and electronic signature: together, but not mixed up
Companies and freelancers who need to process procedures online, already do it quickly and securely, thanks to the benefits of the electronic signature ... Or the digital certificate? 🤔
Although these concepts are closely related, the digital certificate is not the same as the electronic signature. Each serves a different function within the process of electronic signature of documents.
Read on to learn about the specifics of each concept and what the eIDAS regulation says about it.
🥖 To bread, bread and wine, wine! 🍷
The digital certificate from A to Z
What is a digital certificate?
Generally speaking, a digital certificate refers to a set of electronic data that makes it possible to identify a person (natural or legal) and verify their identity over the Internet. In other words, the digital certificate works in the same way as the DNI or NIE, when a person intends to carry out a face-to-face procedure.
Thus then, the digital certificate is necessary and useful to interact with public authorities without the need to travel to their offices. These entities include:
- Social Security,
- The Tax Agency,
- The Bank of Spain,
- the courts, etc.
From the moment the Tax Agency established the obligation to submit certain documents telematically, the digital certificate became a necessity for companies and freelancers.
Where to request a digital certificate?
Digital certificates are issued by an authorized Certification Authority (CA). This authority, since it acts as a third party or non-interested party, is able to guarantee:
- Compliance with the requirements to carry out a procedure,
- the validity of the documents to be signed.
In Spain, the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism has empowered different organizations to issue recognized certificates, among which are:
- The Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre (FNMT ),
- the Catalan Certification Agency (CATCert),
- the Superior Council of Chambers of Commerce (Camefirma),
- Notarial Certification Agency (ANCERT), among others.
Since the digital certificate contains information stored electronically, it must be able to be installed or stored in some medium that allows its reading, such as a server on a computer, a USB memory, a cryptographic card or token, a hardware security module, etc.
What types of digital certificates exist?
A Certification Authority is able to issue different types of certificates. The FNMT, for example, through its SEDE Electrónica, issues the following types of digital certificates:
- Digital certificate of natural person. It works in the same way as an electronic ID, since it allows the person to identify him/herself telematically to sign or encrypt electronic documents. Acquiring it from the FNMT is free of charge and any citizen in possession of their DNI or NIE, can apply for it.
- Digital certificate of representative for:
- Legal entity,
- sole and joint administrators,
- entities without legal personality.
In what situations to use the digital certificate?
As we saw at the beginning, the digital certificate allows signing electronic documents before public entities that require it. In this sense, some of the procedures that can be carried out thanks to having this electronic certificate include:
- Obtaining before the Social Security:
- Reports of work life and contribution base,
- withholding and income certificates,
- documents accrediting the right to public health care.
- To make before the State Agency of Tributary Administration:
- The payment of taxes,
- the consultation of files,
- the request of claims.
- Applying to the State Public Employment Service:
- Unemployment benefits,
- modification of bank details.
The above are just some examples of the entities and procedures that can be simplified and streamlined, thanks to the implementation of the digital certificate.
What are digital signature and electronic signature?
Two other concepts that are useful to differentiate when talking about the digital certificate are those of electronic signature and digital signature. Let's see what they are:
- Electronic signature. It is a series of data in electronic form, which, when consigned and associated to other data, allow the identification of a signatory person. The eIDAS (Electronic IDentification And Trust Services) Regulation recognizes three different types of electronic signature:
- Simple electronic signature,
- advanced electronic signature,
- qualified electronic signature.
- Digital signature. It is a cryptographic mechanism used to identify a signatory and guarantee the integrity of the documents he/she signs. In relation to the electronic signature, the digital signature is part of the advanced and qualified electronic signatures, thanks to the fact that it is the mechanism that allows to provide them with higher levels of security.
According to the above, we can infer that the concept of digital signature is contained in that of the electronic signature; but not every electronic signature contains elements of digital signature.
To sum up...
- The digital certificate is the means by which a person (natural or legal) can technically and legally guarantee their identity through the Internet.
- The purpose of using the digital certificate is to be able to sign documents electronically that otherwise would be difficult to process or invalid.
- In Spain, this certificate can be issued by any of the Certification Authorities recognized for this purpose.
- An electronic signature consists of a sequence of characters that associates a signatory with a defined file. There are types of electronic signature that are based on electronic certificates and the cryptographic mechanism provided by the digital signature to provide a maximum level of security and legal validity.
- In this sense, the qualified electronic signature is the one that offers the highest degree of security and legal guarantee, since it is based on digital certificates. This makes it equivalent to a handwritten signature.
Do you have any questions? Leave them in the comments!
Article translated from Spanish