As technological innovations occupy more and more space in the corporate scenario, it becomes more essential that companies, in order to stand out in the market, adapt to the digital revolution and adopt modern practices in their operations, such as electronic signature and digital certificate.
Given this scenario, these two technological resources stand out in such a way that they cannot even be considered as simple innovations, but as elementary requirements for the optimization of the processes of a particular business.
After all, these are specific tools that perform, by digital means, the verification and recognition of the identity of people and the ownership of online platforms, guaranteeing the legitimacy and legal validity of agreements and contracts signed in a virtual environment.
Nowadays, there are several different ways to digitally sign a document, which is why most companies around the world are increasingly using these tools.
It is also worth noting that, according to the data from the National Institute of Information Technology (ITI), the number of active digital certificates in Brazil, in 2022, already exceeds 10 and a half million – about a million more than in 2021.
However, it is still common to have some confusion about what are, in fact, the differences between a digital signature and a digital certificate. In order to clarify these doubts, we have prepared this special article, explaining both concepts in detail.
By understanding the main characteristics of each one and in which situations they apply, you will be able to implement them among the elementary practices of your company. Come on?
After all, what is the difference between an electronic signature and a digital certificate?
Understanding the difference between an electronic signature and a digital certificate is essential in today's digital world.
Electronic signature is a broad term that encompasses any electronic method of signing documents, offering convenience and speed. The digital certificate is a type of digital signature, which uses specific technology for greater security.
This method employs advanced cryptography, where mathematical data is used to unambiguously link the signer to the document. Subsequent changes to the document signed with a digital certificate are detectable, making the process safe and reliable.
Thus, while the electronic signature simplifies processes, the digital certificate adds an extra layer of authentication and security. Below, we will discuss more about each one.
What is electronic signature?
Electronic signature is the genre in which the digital certificate is one of its species. Broadly speaking, An electronic signature is one that uses any electronic or digital mechanism to validate the authorship of a given act..
The electronic signature has legal validity in virtually every country in the world. In Brazil, it was introduced by several norms, in particular by the Provisional Measure No. 2.200-2/2001 and by Provisional Measure No. 983 of 2020.
Electronic signatures replace the traditional handwritten signature with “pen and paper” in a more efficient and economical way, becoming extremely widespread in companies seeking to optimize their processes.
Thus, it can be widely used for the most diverse types of documents shared over the internet, such as:
- signing contracts and additives;
- employment documents, such as payrolls, terminations, forms or warnings;
- and health reports;
- payment or service orders;
- purchase and sale contracts;
- and many others.
What is digital certificate?
The digital certificate, on the other hand, is a specific type of electronic signature, which guarantees the highest degree of reliability within the types of electronic signatures, however its mandatory use is extremely restricted.
Therefore, it guarantees the identity and integrity of issuers (which can be both natural and legal persons) during any exchange of information in the digital environment. The digital certificate also allows its holder to access electronic services from the Federal Revenue and Justice, for example.
In the same way as other types of electronic signatures, the digital certificate promotes practicality, agility and security in digital bureaucratic processes, making traditional means increasingly unnecessary, in addition to ensuring points such as:
- sustainability;
- confidentiality;
- authenticity and legal validity to online transaction validation processes;
- signing of powers of attorney;
- internal data authentication;
- as well as a host of other situations.
Two well-known examples of digital certificates are the e-CNPJ and the OAB token used by lawyers.
Among the different types of digital certificates, the most commonly used are A1 and A3 certificates. The first is normally stored on the requester's computer and integrated into the Internet browser), while the second is stored on smartcards or password-kept tokens.
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How is a digital certificate obtained?
Another difference between electronic signature and digital certificates is that digital certificates can only be issued by a certification authority linked to the ICP-Brazil.
On the other hand, other types of electronic signatures can be carried out by tools not linked to ICP - BRAZIL, provided that the requirements set out in the Provisional Measure No. 2.200-2/2001.
Certification Authorities (CAs) are the bodies responsible for issuing, distributing, renewing, revoking and managing digital certificates. They therefore have the primary purpose of ensuring that the holder of the digital certificate has the private key corresponding to the public key referring to the certificate.
To request your digital certificate from a CA, you need to contact an accredited registration authority (AR). The ARs are responsible for receiving clients in order to check the documentation for issuing the certificate.
In Brazil, the root certification authority is ICP-Brasil (Infraestrutura de Chaves Públicas Brasileiras). As the first authority in the certification chain, it is responsible for inspecting and auditing the other certification authorities, ensuring that they operate in accordance with their basic guidelines.
The complete list of certification authorities accredited by ICP-Brasil can be found at website of the ITI – National Institute of Information Technology. Interfacing directly with the CAs, the ITI is the body responsible for accrediting and de-accrediting participants in the certification chain, in addition to supervising and auditing the processes.
It is important to note that, among the various public and private companies that work as ACs, it is possible to observe different criteria for issuing documents, as well as different costs.
It is up to the person or entity interested in acquiring their digital certificate to assess which among the supplying institutions best suits their own needs, before making this decision.
What are the electronic signature guarantees?
All electronic signatures (as you've already learned here, this includes digital certificates) serve to bind the signer's identity. In this way, it is safe to say that, once this type of signature is carried out, the identity or the content of the document in question can no longer be altered – otherwise, the electronic signature will be invalidated.
The electronic signature, therefore, serves to guarantee:
- the principles of authenticity, as it verifies that the content of the signed document has not been violated by the recipient;
- integrity, as it ensures that sender and recipients receive the same document, containing the same data;
- non-repudiation, as the signer is not allowed to deny or repudiate the document after it has been signed;
This security in electronic signature procedures is due to the fact that its mechanism makes use of cryptographic keys. In short, the encryption process consists of encoding digital information, so that only the sender and receiver are able to access the data present there.
Therefore, it is absolutely safe to say that the primary purpose of the electronic signature is to link the manifestation of will of a signatory to a certain document, whether physical or legal, that carry out online transactions, preventing fraud, cyber attacks and similar problems.
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