The government is all set to launch digital signature on Wednesday.

A digital signature is a special government certified identification code which is used to authenticate digital information such as documents, e-mail messages by the sender or the signatory to a document and ensures that the document is unchanged and genuine.

Once digital signature comes into effect, it will help make electronic correspondence and transactions legitimate. Though the digital signature will be launched on Wednesday, the general public will be able to get one for themselves in around three weeks.

For signing a document digitally, one needs to acquire a digital ID. This identity can be acquired from the authorised certification authority. Once a person has an ID in place, he/she can register it with programmes like Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Outlook among others that support digital signatures. One can use feature ‘Sign’ to add the digital signature to those documents which will carry validity. Such documents can also be presented in the court as proof.

“Though the government had launched digital signature in 2012, it could not be implemented following unavailability of adequate infrastructure,” Minister for Information and Communications Technology Sher Dhan Rai said. “Now, we have all required infrastructure in place.”

According to Birendra Mishra, director general of the Office of the Controller of Certification (OCC), the implementation of digital signature will make electronic transaction easier as well as it will give it legal recognition, making the electronic correspondence more credible.

The OCC has stated that

the signature will be implemented under Electronic Transaction Act 2006 and Electronic Transaction Rules 2007. According to Mishra, implementation of digital signature will also help regulate e-payment gateways.

Binod Dhakal, president of Computer Association of Nepal (CAN), said that the implementation of digital signature and awareness about it will be crucial after its formal launch.

“We are glad that the government has finally introduced the digital signature. It will give legitimacy to the correspondence made through the internet,” Dhakal said.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari will launch the digital signature amid an event at Sheetal Niwas.

What it is

- A digital signature is a special government certified identification code which is used to authenticate digital information such as documents and e-mail messages and ensure the document is unchanged and genuine

Why digital signature

-  Authenticates identity of sender

- Ensures the original content of message

- No-repudiation

- Verifiability by independent, public or third party