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Digital signatures

Digital signatures are a cryptographic mechanism used to prove that an input msg was sent by the owner of a specific private key.^[600-developer-tools-security-openssl.md]

Mechanism

The process involves combining the input message with a Digital Signature to create a signed message[600-developer-tools-security-openssl.md][600-developer-tools-security-openssl.md:11-12]. This serves as a mathematical proof of authenticity and origin^[600-developer-tools-security-openssl.md:12-13].

Verification

The verification method relies on the use of the public key[600-developer-tools-security-openssl.md][600-developer-tools-security-openssl.md:14-15]. The recipient uses this key to confirm that the input msg matches the signature and originates from the private key holder^[600-developer-tools-security-openssl.md:14-15].

Security Considerations

A fundamental challenge in this system is the public key distribution problem.[600-developer-tools-security-openssl.md][600-developer-tools-security-openssl.md:16-17] Since the public key is typically obtained via a network, there is a risk of interception; a user must be able to verify that the key they received is the correct and legitimate one^[600-developer-tools-security-openssl.md:16-17]. This issue leads to the necessity of [[Certificate Authority|CAs]] (Certificate Authorities) to validate the ownership of public keys^[600-developer-tools-security-openssl.md].

Sources

^[600-developer-tools-security-openssl.md]

  • [[Public key infrastructure]]
  • [[Private key]]
  • OpenSSL
  • [[Certificate Authority]]