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Recommendation for Digital Signature Timeliness

Published

Author(s)

Elaine B. Barker

Abstract

Establishing the time when a digital signature was generated is often a critical consideration. A signed message that includes the (purported) signing time provides no assurance that the private key was used to sign the message at that time unless the accuracy of the time can be trusted. With the appropriate use of digital signature-based timestamps from a Trusted Timestamp Authority (TTA) and/or verifier-supplied data that is included in the signed message, the signatory can provide some level of assurance about the time that the message was signed.
Citation
Special Publication (NIST SP) - 800-102
Report Number
800-102

Keywords

digital signatures, timeliness, timestamp, Trusted Timestamp Authority

Citation

Barker, E. (2009), Recommendation for Digital Signature Timeliness, Special Publication (NIST SP), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=901593 (Accessed March 29, 2024)
Created September 23, 2009, Updated February 19, 2017