A person can only authenticate a certificate or document with his/her signature. In the case of online documents, the process of validation is done by digital signatures. It is a secure way of ensuring the readers of the document that the authentication is valid and has originated from the person who has signed it.

Ten things to know about a digital signature certificate are:

1. What they contain
   A digital signature certificate (DSC) contains essential personal information about the holder of the certificate holder. They include the user's name, pin code, country, email address, date of issuance of certificates and the name of the legal authority that has certified it. It a safe digital key that is handed out by the certifying authorities for the objective of validating and verifying the identity of the person holding this certificate.
2. Data integrity
   Documents that are signed digitally cannot be altered or edited after signing, which makes the data protected and secure. The government agents frequently ask for these certificates to cross-check and ascertain the business transaction.
3. They carry an assurance of authenticity
   Digitally signed documents give assurance to the receiver to have the confidence of the signer’s authenticity. They can make decisions and execute them based on such documents without getting anxious about the documents being forged. If any alteration in documents is sensed, the person can take legal steps in a court of law.
4. Term of validity
   The authority issues a Digital Signature Certificate to people for use. Once it is released, the holder cannot be assured for life. The certificate has a fixed enforceable life up to a specified period. It is usually 1 or 2 years. After this term, the DSC has to be renewed.
5. Different needs and types have different types of DSCs
   The category of the applicant and the intention for which the Digital Signature Certificate is attained defines the type of DSC one must apply for, depending on the requirement. Class 1 DSCs are handed out to individual/private subscribers. They are obtained to confirm that the user’s name and email ID contact details from the completely defined subject lie within the database of the authority certifying it.
   Class 2 DSCs are handed out to the director/signatory authorities of the corporations for the objective of e-filing with the Registrar of Companies (ROC). Class 3 DSCs are used in participation/bidding in e-auctions through online medium and online tenders all over India.
6. Statutory compliance in the tax filing
   People and entities who are mandated to get their accounts audited are bound to file their income tax return using a digital signature as a compulsory requirement. Similarly, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs has deemed it mandatory for companies to present all the reports, appeals, and forms by way of digital signature only which makes it necessary for them to hold a DSC.
7. Documents for application of DSC
   A lot of people think only personally verifying the digital signature with a digital copy is enough proof of its authenticity. This is not the case. To apply for a digital signature certificate, a filled form, a photo ID proof of the applicant and an address proof has to be presented as well.
8. Variation of DSC regulations in different countries
   Countries that ratify the use of digital signatures have a hierarchy that regulates the acquisition and rule of the digital signature. DCSs can be utilized in every facet of life. There are no constraints as to where and when you can use the digital signatures unless asserted otherwise in a specific country. If a country has different regulation for DSCs, the holder has to comply with them for the DSC to be valid.
9. Who signs it?
   To get a valid digital certificate, one must obtain it from a certifying authority (CA). The Certifying Authority (CA) is a sort of Trust Service Provider, and it is a third-party institution that is believed and accepted in a country. It can issue citizens with digital signature certificates.
10. The secure key
    A digital signature empowered by a DSC has a private key that is distinct to the signer and a public key that recipients put to use to spot the private key. The public key will read the signature that has been established by the private key, and it infers whether or not it is valid.