Secure, more secure, signotec: a private biometric key registered with a solicitor

signotec’s solutions enable the creation of advanced electronic signatures in accordance with the EU eIDAS Regulation. To best meet the relevant legal requirements and ensure a very high level of evidential value, biometric data associated with the signature is captured and stored within the document using RSA encryption.

To perform such asymmetric encryption, a key pair is required. This consists of a public key, which encrypts the data, and a private key, which can decrypt the data when necessary. The keys are often used and stored in the form of a certificate.

The overall evidential value therefore depends, among other things, on how many people have access to the private key and how likely subsequent manipulation is. It is therefore particularly important to store the private key securely and, for example, to log access attempts.

So what’s new?

The most secure solution for key storage is to deposit them with a notary – and signotec now offers such a key, generated and stored by a notary, for use.

Key facts:

• The key pair was generated personally by the notary on their system.
• It offers a modern and secure key length of 4,096 bits.
• The notary has set up their own CA to generate the keys.
• Only the notary knows the private key and the passwords used.
• Decryption is only possible via the notary. Manipulation is impossible.

The benefits for you:

If you do not have the means to securely generate and store the private key within your organisation, or if you wish to relinquish responsibility for it, you benefit fully from the simple and secure provision of a key.

You are relieved of the burden of both generating and securing the key pair and monitoring access. Furthermore, in the event of a dispute, you deal directly with the notary as the highest trusted authority, who decrypts the data and logs the process.

Use of the key:

The public key is provided free of charge by signotec. Depending on the product, this is included in the scope of delivery for new versions. Alternatively, it can be requested directly from signotec.

To encrypt signatures using the key, it is simply configured within the software or, ideally, loaded directly onto the signotec signature pad.

Please feel free to contact us for further information.