You don’t have to add a digital signature to your Word documents. However, doing so in some circumstances may be beneficial. For example, you may be asked to digitally sign legal or other sensitive documents. Doing so proves that you have been verified as being who you say you are.
While the current versions of Word such as Word 2002 and above come with built-in tools for digitally signing a document, you must first obtain a digital certificate from a Certifying Authority (CA) such as VeriSign. These certificates can be used for verifying digital signatures as well as encrypting (and decrypting) secure documents. The use of digital certificates, digital signatures, and encryption provides better security for a variety of e-commerce applications.
Many different levels of digital authentication exist. For example Web servers generally need a different type of certificate than individuals. A digital signature for electronic documents is similar to a handwritten signature on a printed document - except that it is not forgeable. The digital signature securely verifies that a named person either wrote the document or agreed to the document that has the digital signature attached to it.
Digitally-signed messages can be verified as having been written by the signer and that they haven’t been altered since the digital signing. In addition, document signers cannot later disown the document and claim forgery because the security surrounding digital signatures is irrefutable. Digital signatures verify the sender’s identity as well as the integrity of the message.
If you need to add a digital signature to your documents, you will need to apply for a digital certificate. VeriSign offers numerous options for individuals including digital IDs for secure email, Adobe Acrobat credentials, and mortgage industry digital certificates as well as certificates designed for communicating with government agencies. Prices and application methods vary depending on what type of certificate you need.
Once you have a digital certificate, you can digitally sign your Microsoft Word documents. To do so in Word 2007, go to the Office Button, click on Prepare and choose Add a Digital Signature and follow the prompts. In earlier versions of Word such as Word 2002, go to Tools >Options and click on the Security tab. Click the Digital Signatures button and follow the prompts.
In Office 2007, you can create your own Digital ID by going into the Office Button, clicking Prepare >Add a Digital Signature and then selecting the option that says “Create my own Digital ID.” Important: This option is only useful for verifying documents on the existing computer. If you send your document to others via e-mail or some other method, the recipients have no way to verify the digital signature. In addition, once you do so, you won’t be prompted to get a Digital Certificate from other vendors when preparing to digitally sign your documents.
