Digital Signatures

[George Foot]

On Fri 28 Aug, lists@notatla.demon.co.uk wrote:
> 
> In grepping earlier posts on this list, I found this
> from April and Caspar Bowden:
> 
>          >   1. "electronic signature" means a process
>          >   which indicates the signatory's electronic
>          >   approval of the content of data and which
>          >   meets the following requirements:
>          >
>          >   (a) uniquely linked to the signatory;
>          >   (b) capable of identifying the signatory;
> 
> [Does this mean to someone other than himself ?]
> 
>          >   (c) created in a manner or using a means
>          >   under the sole control of the signatory; and
>          >
>          >   (d) linked to the data to which it relates
>          >   in such a manner that if the data is altered
>          >   the electronic signature is invalidated.
> 
> 
>          >   2. "digital signature" means an electronic
>          >   signature which uses an asymmetric
>          >   cryptographic technique such that a person
>          >   having the signatory's public key can
>          >   determine whether:
>          >
>          >   (a) the transformation was created using the
>          >   signatory's private key that corresponds to
>          >   the signatory's public key; and
>          >
>          >   (b) the transformed data record data record has
>          >   been altered,


This is the language of officialdom and Act of Parliament.

It will pass over the heads of people who are accustomed 
to Keys as either Yale or Qwerty.  These are our operators 
and I put it to you that our aim should be to instruct 
them in the language they normally speak.

I say this with appreciation of the importance of experts 
and their valuable work in their own sphere.

George 












-- 
George Foot
georgefoot@oxted.demon.co.uk
Web Page.  http://www.oxted.demon.co.uk