A digital code generated by public key encryption that is attached to an electronically transmitted document to verify its contents and the sender’s identity.

Digital signatures are a type of authentication that can be used to confirm the identity of a person and the integrity of transmitted data. It is an electronic seal that is created and attached to digital documents as proof that they have not been tampered with. A digital signature is generated by the software and encrypted with a private key. The process requires two elements: a message and a private key.

A digital signature is a cryptographic technique used to ensure the authenticity, integrity, and security of digital messages or documents. It is similar to a handwritten signature but more secure, as it relies on encryption. Digital signatures use public key infrastructure (PKI), where a sender encrypts a document using a private key, and the recipient verifies it with a corresponding public key.

This prevents tampering, as any alteration to the document invalidates the signature. Digital signatures are widely used in financial transactions, legal documents, and online communications to prevent fraud. Governments and businesses use them to comply with security regulations. Unlike electronic signatures, which can be just an image, digital signatures provide robust authentication, ensuring that the sender’s identity and the document’s content remain unchanged.