Implementing digital signatures

You can use Content Manager to sign electronic documents digitally to verify their authenticity.

The current version of Content Manager does not support documents signed in other applications or their encryption.

  1. Right-click the record and select Electronic - Signature.

    Depending on whether the attached electronic document already has a digital signature or not, one of two Signature dialogue boxes will appear.

    • Sign the Document, using Certificate - signs the selected electronic document using the Windows internal certificate management system.

      Any certificates stored here will be available to the user to sign electronic documents.

      External software such as PGP, which does not use the Windows digital signature API to sign documents, is not compatible with Content Manager's digital signature system.

      NOTE: Programs which use the Windows digital signature API to generate a digital signature for a document can create a digital signature which may be recognised by Content Manager when the electronic document with that digital signature is checked in or attached to a record.

      The signature files created from Content Manager are created using the Windows API; therefore, any programs using this same code to create a signature file should be able to create a signature file that will be compatible with Content Manager.

      Content Manager handles the original signing of an electronic document using the Windows internal certificate management system.

    • Attach an external Signature file - Replace signature with an external signature file - the main intention for this function is to enable you to swap electronic records between Content Manager datasets.

      You can extract the electronic record along with its associated signature file and send these files to someone using another Content Manager dataset.

      The other user can then check in the electronic record and attach the associated signature file to create an electronic record signed by the original signatory.

      NOTE: A signature file created from a signed electronic document is unique to the document from which it was generated and will not work on any other documents.

    • Verify the external signature file - verifies the digital signature file that is attached to the document.

      You can view the outcome of the verification process by right-clicking the rendition and selecting Properties. Click the Notes The notes also indicate whether there is a digital signature attached to the electronic document or not.

      See Viewing digital signature details.

    • Verify the existing signature on the document - if an electronic document has a digital signature attached, this option is automatically selected when you right-click and select Electronic - Signature.

      You can view the outcome of the verification process by right-clicking the rendition and selecting Properties. Click Notes.

NOTE: You must have the appropriate certification authorities installed on their computer for the signature to be verified, i.e. Internet Options - Content - Certificates - Intermediate Certification Authorities and Trusted Root Certification Authorities. You can import certification authority certificates and public keys from individuals into this certificate management system using the Export/Import buttons.

NOTE: Content Manager behaviour with digital signatures

  • When you apply a digital signature to an existing record, the record will become final.
  • When you check in a document with an attached digital signature, the document automatically becomes final.
  • Due to the nature of digital signatures, you cannot create a signed rendition from the Properties of a record in the Renditions tab as you would create other rendition types of a record. If you drag or check in a document to Content Manager with its digital signature file in the same folder and attach it to a record that already has a digital signature attached, then Content Manager will create a new multimedia annotation rendition that contains the new digital signature. However, it will not be valid for the document because it is not the original digital signature rendition.
  • When the option Delete this rendition when creating a new revision in the Content Manager Enterprise Studio General - File Types - Properties - Renditions tab is selected, and a user creates a new revision of an original document, Content Manager deletes the rendition from the record. This applies to any rendition, including digital signatures.
    When the option is not selected, the rendition remains. In the case of a digital signature rendition, it probably would not work because the signature is associated with the document that has been replaced by the new revision.