Electronic signature– this is a detail of an electronic document, with the help of which you can determine the owner who owns the digital signature, as well as determine the absence of distorted information in electronic form.

What types of electronic signature are there?

Signing documents with an electronic signature allows you to submit reports via the Internet, contact government authorities on certain issues, as well as conduct document flow in electronic form, etc. If the necessary conditions are met, the electronic signature is equivalent to a handwritten signature.

Electronic signatures can be divided into two types. Let's look at each type in detail in the form of a table:

View electronic signature	description
Simple electronic signature	With the help of this signature, it is determined only that the electronic signature was generated by a certain person, nothing more. For example, this could be an SMS confirmation when logging into your personal banking account. This type is considered the simplest and is usually used in banking operations. The design of a simple signature indicates that its owner will use it only in certain cases and in certain situations.
Unqualified electronic signature	This type of signature also helps to identify the person who uses the digital signature. And with the help of this type of electronic signature, you can detect whether there have been any changes in the document. Creating such a key is a little more complicated using private key EDS.
Qualified electronic signature	IN this type The signature includes all the characteristics of an unqualified signature, and also has its own number of advantages, namely: it is mandatory to have a certificate either in paper or electronic form. Such an electronic signature can be obtained only at a special certification center. With the help of such a signature, the document has legal force without additional conditions.

EDS can be obtained from a certification center (CA) accredited by the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation. The kit issued by the center includes:

1. Digital signature verification key certificate - as a rule, issued on a USB drive.
2. Distribution of the CryptoPro software with activated license for use during the validity period of the digital signature verification key.

A signature key certificate is an electronic document or a paper document that includes an electronic signature key to confirm the authenticity of the electronic signature and identify the owner of the signature key certificate. The creation of verification key certificates, the issuance of certificates, as well as the provision of other services related to the use of electronic signatures are the activities of certification centers.

Shelf life electronic certificate The signature key is determined by an agreement between the certification center and the owner of the electronic signature key certificate. Typically this period is 12 months and must be renewed afterwards.

What are the possibilities of an electronic signature?

An electronic signature has its own possibilities for different persons. So:

• For individuals - digital signature allows you to remotely interact with government agencies, educational institutions, medical institutions, as well as with other information systems via the Internet;
• For legal entities– EDS allows you to participate in electronic trading, and also allows you to organize legally significant electronic document management (EDF) and submit electronic reporting to regulatory authorities.

The opportunities that digital signature provides to users have made it an important component of the everyday life of both ordinary citizens and company representatives.

How to use an electronic signature

IN modern world Electronic document management is gaining more and more popularity and is being implemented in various areas. The most popular area is regulatory authorities, since many companies submit their reports using an electronic signature and conduct correspondence with regulatory authorities also in electronic form, where an electronic signature is always required.

How to put an electronic signature on documents? This question worries many. The answer to this question will depend on various technical nuances. In particular, this depends on the type of electronic document - is it possible to embed a signature inside the document itself? Plus, different web services and applications have their own peculiarities of working with signatures.

Most people very often use a simple electronic signature in their daily lives, without even noticing it and do not think about how to sign an electronic signature file. In fact, this is ordinary code with the help of which a particular operation is confirmed. For example, when entering an online account or a bank application, the user enters his data, then an SMS is sent to his phone with unique code, with which he must confirm his involvement in the action. Such authentication systems allow you to secure personal data, finances, are simple and in an accessible way protection.

But how to sign a document with an electronic signature when working with a web service? Working with an electronic signature on a specific web portal is carried out using the interface of this portal. The functionality, interfaces, and some technical nuances may be different, but the essence (how to put an electronic signature) is usually the same - the user generates or uploads a document ready for sending (for example, a tax return), then signs it with an electronic signature. The process of signing documents with an electronic signature goes unnoticed by the owner of the digital signature, since after completing work with the document, the user simply needs to confirm the readiness of the document and complete it with a signature.

What does an electronic signature look like on a document?

Almost every user wants to check the authenticity of one or another document that is signed with an electronic signature. And the question immediately arises: what does an electronic signature look like?

When printing an electronic document certified with an electronic signature, the electronic signature on paper is not detected, since in fact an electronic signature is an action for cryptographic encryption of information, which allows one to uniquely identify the signer.

On an electronic document, the digital signature may look different, since each type of information has its own method of protection. It could be:

• A set of numbers and letters that to the average user may seem random. However, this code actually refers to the key specified in the verification certificate.
• Graphic picture. In electronic form, it looks like a regular stamp containing the signature of the responsible person and the seal of the company. The signer can also create a sticker with a message or task for the recipient, which is displayed on the screen. The relatively inexpensive KARMA software, developed by Russian programmers, has this functionality.
• Invisible digital signature, which is considered the most reliable way to protect signed information. An ignorant person simply will not be able to detect its presence, which means it will be extremely difficult to fake it. As a rule, this method of protection is used in documents created in MS Office products. In this case, the signature line is not visually determined, and the digital signature is generated as metadata. You can find out that a document has been certified with an electronic signature by a special icon that appears in the “Status” window at the bottom of the monitor. In this case, the certified document cannot be edited.

Electronic digital signature or digital signature is a method of conversion cryptographic information to verify the authenticity of electronic documents. The use of an electronic digital signature has been regulated by the federal law “On Electronic Digital Signature” since 2001.

According to its properties, the digital signature is absolutely unique, copy-protected and real analogous to the signature of a specific person.

Regulatory framework Russian Federation regulating the use of digital signatures, distinguishes the following types:

• simple;
• reinforced (qualified and unqualified).

The main difference between the types of signatures is degree of security. A simple signature is intended for documents that do not require a seal, and a reinforced signature is used for documents that, in accordance with the law, must be certified by a seal.

The enhanced signature can be qualified And unskilled, which differ from each other availability of a certificate, issued by a center accredited by the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications of Russia, and his absence.

Features of using the authentication method

Due to the fact that today almost every organization is faced with the task of optimizing business processes and using electronic document management, the scope of application of electronic signatures is not limited to any sector of the national economy or a specific institution.

Digital signature is used:

• when submitting reports to the tax office and statistical institutions;
• for submitting reports on employees to the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation and customs declarations;
• to participate in electronic auctions;
• when using specialized programs for electronic payment methods (Client-Bank, etc.).

The main advantage of this method is confidentiality And safety of the operation.

How does digital signature work in practice?

1. The sender of the documents has at his disposal special software and a key.
2. Thanks to the encryption mechanism, document data is converted into a set of characters.
3. The recipient of the information has identical software and a decryption key that recognizes this information and makes it readable. The decryption mechanism allows you not only to determine the authenticity of a specific document, but also to find out whether any changes were made to it after signing.
4. In theory, hack this system There are two ways: steal the encryption key or try to pick up such a key.

Is it possible to do without electronic document management?

Not every manager will express a desire to manually sign all documents for suppliers, the tax office and the bank. The way out of this situation is transition to electronic document management. Yes, it's not free, but it saves the most important resource Every entrepreneur has time.

Selecting a certificate

Having decided to use an electronic signature in your activities, you should approach the choice of a certificate responsibly and thoughtfully.

In Russia, electronic digital signature certificates are provided by specialized accredited certification centers. Full list such organizations can be seen on Single portal EDS in Russia iecp.ru.

In order to obtain an electronic signature, you must send the application and copies of documents electronically to the selected certification center. On average, the production of an electronic signature takes up to 5 working days. Upon receipt, you will certainly be asked for the originals of all documents.

You can become the owner of an electronic signature as follows: legal, and, accordingly, individuals(as well as individual entrepreneurs). Since the signature is personal, that is, issued for a specific person, only the actual owner can receive it upon presentation of the passport, as well as copies of pages 2 and 3 and the registration page.

If the certificate is received by a representative, it is necessary to provide a power of attorney executed by a notary.

Legal entity	Individual entrepreneur	Individual
A copy of the state registration certificate certified by a notary	Extract from the Unified State Register of Individual Entrepreneurs (original and notarized copy)	Copy of TIN certificate
Original or certified copy of an extract from the register of legal entities. The statute of limitations for the statement cannot exceed 30 calendar days		Copies of the 2nd, 3rd pages of the Russian passport and registration page
A copy of the TIN certificate certified by a notary	A copy of the registration certificate of an individual entrepreneur certified by a notary
If the certificate is issued in the name of the manager, it is necessary to provide a copy of the order appointing the manager with the seal and signature of the organization	Application for provision of electronic digital signature
Application for provision of electronic signature

Over the past five years, the number of inter-corporate transactions for the exchange of electronic documents that are legally significant has increased significantly. This trend is quite natural, given their economic benefits.

The most obvious advantages of electronic document management include baud rate, which subsequently increases the speed of movement of the organization’s working capital, accelerating its business processes and increasing profits. There is also a reduction in costs and reasonable savings or, as they say now, “optimization” is always relevant.

Another undoubted advantage is guarantee of reporting on time. After all, as you know, organizations are subject to penalties and fines for late submission of documents to the tax office. Using electronic document management in its activities, the company guarantees almost instantaneous transfer of all necessary documents to regulatory authorities.

Exchange Features

The exchange of electronic documents can be carried out both through an operator and without him. However, it should be noted that not every document can be sent to the counterparty by email.

In accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation, the exchange of electronic invoices is carried out only with the participation of operators.

The algorithm for the transition to electronic document management can be presented as follows:

1. Connection to the operator.
2. Obtaining digital signature and certificate.
3. Connection to the counterparty system.

The legislation of the Russian Federation obliges Russian organizations to enter into agreement on electronic document management. Such an agreement can be concluded either in addition to the main agreement with the counterparty, or drawn up as a separate document.

In the first case, the exchange involves only documents under a specific agreement, while the second allows the exchange of absolutely any information. This agreement can be drawn up either electronically or in paper form, using an electronic digital signature to sign this document.

What should an employer take into account when equipping its employees with digital signatures?

Often in practice, the manager transfers to authorized employees of his organization the right to use digital signature to sign documents. This situation can be formalized by an internal order of the director and is completely legal.

However, responsibility for signing the document, as well as in the case of unlawful use of an electronic signature by an unscrupulous employee, will be assigned to the direct owner, that is, the manager.

As for the requirements for an electronic document, they are identical to the requirements for documents on paper media.

The electronic document must contain basic required details:

• document number and date;
• its name;
• name of counterparty organizations;
• positions and signatures of responsible persons.

Methods for storing information

For 15 years, electronic document management has been introduced into the lives of domestic entrepreneurs, and each of them is faced with the question of the most convenient and in a safe way storage of such documents.

The most important difference between the methods of storing electronic documents and documents on paper is the need to create and implement technical infrastructure. There are three ways to ensure the storage of electronic documents today:

• local method;
• “cloud way;
• creation of an electronic archive.

Local storage method electronic documents requires the presence of a special folder on the computer or local network, if the company has one. To ensure confidentiality, it would be a good idea to configure access to this folder for specific users. The main disadvantage of this storage method is the inability to automatically track document retention periods.

Cloud storage electronic documents is the most promising today. Almost all organizations carry out their document flow through operators. In this case, all documents are stored in the operator’s service, and to access the documents you only need an Internet connection.

Payment for this service depends on the selected operator. Some service providers include storage costs in subscription fee as a bonus to our clients.

The third option, which is organization of an electronic document archiving system, is also sufficient in a convenient way. In this case, all electronic documents of the organization are stored on servers.

Initially, such a system was intended to store internal documents companies, but now electronic document archiving is also available for inter-corporate documents. Creating such a system will not be cheap for the company, so switching to special system Electronic document archiving is more suitable for large organizations.

Use in judicial practice

Judicial practice of violations related to the use of electronic digital signatures shows that in most cases the court left unsatisfied the claims of organizations that did not adequately ensure the security of transactions using digital signatures.

Despite the huge amounts of damage incurred, amounting to millions of rubles, there was no one to compensate the organizations for their losses. In this regard, creating safe conditions for the use of digital signatures in each specific company is priority area of ​​technical development and equipment.

Today, even the smallest organizations are connected to the electronic document management system at the initial stages of their formation. This clearly shows that “paperless document flow” has taken a strong position in Russia, despite the high cost and complexity of implementation.

You can learn more about installing digital signatures from this video.

How to sign a document electronicallyusing modern crypto programs? Let us consider the specifics of solving this problem using the example of the well-known program “CryptoARM”.

What tools are there for signing digital signature documents?

The corresponding type of solutions in the modern IT market are presented in a wide range. Among the most popular in Russia:

• "CryptoPRO" - universal software package for the exchange of electronic documents protected by digital signatures in a wide range of formats;
• "CryptoARM" is a specialized program for signing files using digital signature;
• "CryptoTree" is a solution that provides the technical component for organizing the electronic circulation of legally significant documents that are protected by an electronic signature.

The simplest and most universal solutions for how to sign a document with an electronic signature include the CryptoARM program: it is easily integrated into Windows interfaces, easy to use and configure. Using it, you can easily understand how to put an electronic signature on various documents.

“CryptoARM”, if you have an EDS key, can be used both as a document signing tool and as a tool for verifying the authenticity of certain EDS.

Take advantage free version“CryptoARM” or you can order a paid one through the developer’s website this decision— CRYPTO-PRO LLC. Read on to learn how to sign a digital signature document using this software.

What files can be digitally signed?

The specificity of an electronic signature is that it can be used to certify almost any file - be it a Word document, PDF, drawing or video. From a technological point of view, signing a PDF document with an electronic digital signature is no different from certifying a multimedia file:

• the crypto program with which the file is certified generates its hash ( brief information about integrity and about authorship);
• the hash is encrypted using a private key;
• a document signed with digital signature is generated or separate file Digital signature for the relevant document.

To verify the authenticity of a file, its recipient must, in turn, use public key: It decrypts the hash and allows you to determine the integrity and authorship of a file - be it a Word document or a video recording.

In turn, there is large number varieties software, with which you can sign a Word or PDF document using your digital signature. Among the most common solutions in Russia, as we noted above, is the CryptoARM program. Let's look at how to put a digital signature on a Word document using it.

How to insert an electronic signature into a file using CryptoARM (brief instructions)

You can use the program in question in Windows in two modes:

• through context menu files in Explorer (by right-clicking on the file and selecting the desired option);
• through the main interface of the program (by launching it from the desktop).

How to sign a Word document with an electronic signature - solving this issue through contextual Windows menu quite convenient. If we have the CryptoARM solution at our disposal, then we will stick to it.

Let's study the features of using the corresponding capabilities of CryptoARM in practice.

How to put an electronic signature on a Word document (Word 2003, Word 2007, Word 2010, 2013, 2016)

Let's agree that our file was created using Word 2007 - how to electronically sign a document in this case? Please note that for the question of how to electronically sign a document in Word 2010 and other versions used, these instructions are also relevant.

Choose Word file, located in the computer folder, right-click on it, then select the “CryptoARM” option, then “Sign”. The “Program File Signing Wizard” will open.

In the “Wizards” window that opens, you can check again whether the correct file is selected for signing. If necessary, add other objects to the list of signed files; they can be certified at the same time. Having decided on the file or list of those to sign, click “Next”.

In the next “Wizards” window, you need to select encoding settings (you can leave the default values), and also specify the path for placing files signed with a digital signature. Click “Next”.

In the next window, you can set various signature details (for example, visa, comments, time stamp), if required. Here you can also check the box next to “Save signature in a separate file.” If this is done, the hash of the digital signature will be saved separately from the document being certified (but subsequent verification of the digital signature will require the simultaneous presence of both files). If not, the document and the digital signature that certifies it will be combined into one file.

Now you need to select a signing certificate issued by a certification authority. It can be placed on a PC (registered in the registry) or on external media - a flash drive, eToken. In the second case, you will need to attach the appropriate media to the computer.

In the window that opens after selecting a certificate, all settings can be left as default.

Click “Next”, then “Finish”. The file signed using digital signature will appear in the folder specified in the “Wizards” window earlier. In general, its location will coincide with the location of the source file. The name of the file signed using CryptoARM will coincide with the original one, but will be supplemented with an electronic digital signature extension - as a rule, this is the SIG extension.

How to certify PDF using digital signature

So, we know how to digitally sign a document in Word. We noted above that this procedure is not fundamentally different from certification using digital signature of any other files. But when working with some types of data, there may still be nuances.

In particular, the certification procedure for PDF files has certain features. How to put an electronic signature on PDF document(taking into account the features of this file format)?

The main steps when using CryptoPRO when performing such a task as putting an electronic signature on a PDF document will be almost the same as for a Word document. The digital signature on a PDF file is placed using an algorithm similar to the one we discussed above - when we studied the question of how to sign a Word document with an electronic signature.

At the same time, you need to keep in mind that when certifying a PDF document, it makes sense to separate the digital signature hash from the corresponding document and write it in a separate file.

The fact is that some solutions from Adobe, the developer PDF format— allow you to sign documents in this format regular means. It is quite possible that the recipient of the file will first want to familiarize themselves with the corresponding signatures, and only then check the authenticity of the document’s digital signature.

At the same time, the recipient of the document may not have the CryptoARM distribution kit or another public key solution for verifying an electronic signature in Word or PDF. In this case, the decision is how to sign the document PDF electronic digital signature (by dividing or combining the digital signature and the document itself), can give additional tool checking the file for the recipient.

The question of how to sign a PDF file with an electronic signature - separating the digital signature from the file or combining them - should be agreed upon in advance with the recipient of the document.

Results

Modern crypto programs - such as CryptoARM - allow you to sign almost any files. The question of how to digitally sign a Word or PDF document is usually resolved very quickly using the interfaces of this solution. In this case, in some cases, the specific format of the signature is important - in the form of a separate file or in the form of an attachment to the document being certified. In this sense, the solution to the question of how to sign a PDF document with an electronic digital signature may differ from the procedure for certifying a document in Word format.

You can learn more about the use of digital signatures for document certification in the following articles:

If you have never used an electronic signature before, then it will be useful for you to read this article and familiarize yourself with the options for how to sign a document with an electronic signature in various formats.

First of all, before creating a document, you need to install special software, which includes:

Crypto-PRO CSP;

Root certificate;

Personal certificate;

Capicom Library.

These components are installed one by one on the computer, after which you can begin to create and digitally sign a document.

Before you put your digital signature, you need to make sure that you have installed and are using the latest version of Crypto-PRO

Online signing of documents with digital signature

Our company has developed a service that allows you to sign any document with an electronic digital signature. To do this, you need to go to the online digital signature signature page, then upload the file that you want to sign. You must already have an electronic digital signature certificate installed; after selecting it, click the “Sign” button.

After these steps, a separate file will be created - a detached signature with the extension .sig, which will be saved to your browser's downloads folder.

Important: For online signature you need to have it installed in your browser CryptoPro plugin. If you have previously used an electronic signature to sign this computer, then this plugin must already be installed and no additional settings will not be required.

Our specialists will help you obtain an electronic signature quickly and completely free of charge.

How to sign a digital signature document in Word MS Office

For latest versions Microsoft Word, click “File” and in the window that opens, move the cursor to the “Information” tab and select “Add a digital signature (CRYPTO-PRO)”. If you do not see this option, then you do not have Crypto Pro and CryptoPro Office Signature software installed, or one of them.

After the manipulations have been performed, updated information about this file appears in the “Information” tab, it is noted that it has already been certified by digital signature and is final for editing.

Very important point in filling out is that after the electronic signature is placed, no changes can be made to the file. If the data is corrected after these steps, the document with digital signature becomes invalid.

Advice: If you still need to make changes, first remove the signature and only then change the file. After finishing the work, install it again.

How to sign a PDF document electronically

Special software has also been developed for programs that work with PDF files. It is called “Crypto-PRO PDF” and is a module that interacts with Adobe programs Reader and Adobe Acrobat. After installing it, you can sign your digital signature PDF file in any of the above programs. This is done just as easily as in Word Microsoft Office.

If during the above steps you have any difficulties and questions about how to sign a document with an electronic signature for posting it on the site, you can always contact our specialists. They will help you with any complex issue and help you solve the problem with electronic signature of documents.

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This question arises when the owner of an electronic signature certificate needs to sign a document outside information systems, which already have built-in mechanisms for creating and verifying an electronic signature. Let's consider options for signing a document with a qualified electronic signature.

What is required to sign an electronic document?

• The final version of the document that needs to be signed. Once a signature has been created, changes cannot be made to it.
• A valid qualified electronic signature certificate. Within the framework of Russian legislation, a qualified electronic signature is the only type of signature that gives a document legal force without additional agreements between the parties to electronic document management.
• Electronic signature tools. Electronic signature technology involves the use of a complex software, which the owner of the signature installs on his computer. In the SKB Kontur Certification Center, the computer is configured to work with electronic signatures automatically.
• Program for creating an electronic signature. These can be plugins, individual programs or web services.

Option 1: Install the Office plugin

For Word and Excel documents

Most often you need to sign a document in Word format:

• employment or business contract,
• arbitration claim,
• application to a university, etc.

The standard function of the Microsoft Office package “Sign a document” does not allow you to create a signature that gives an electronic document legal force. To create such a signature in Word or Excel, you need to install a special software module, which will add such a feature, for example, CryptoPro Office Signature.

This paid program, you can use all the features for free only during the test period. After downloading and installing the plugin on your computer, you can sign documents using the following algorithm:

In the main menu of the document, select “Service” and go to “Options”. In the window that appears, select the “Security” tab and click the “Digital Signatures” button.

In this window, select the desired electronic signature certificate from those installed on your computer.

Use it to create an electronic signature for a document: click “Sign” and enter the key container password.

What to consider when using the plugin:

• The signing algorithm differs in different versions Word.
• If you create a signature in one version of the program and check it in another, the verification result may be incorrect.
• A document signed with CryptoPro Office Signature can be opened and verified even on a computer where this program is not installed.

For PDF documents

This free program, which allows you to create and verify an electronic signature, encrypt and decrypt an electronic file. You can sign not only a single file, but also a package of files or archives. You can create a document signature by two or more people.

You can work in the program after registration and automatic installation computer software for cryptographic operations. The program has an intuitive interface. To sign an electronic document, you must:

Upload the document that needs to be signed into the service. You can sign a file of any format up to 100 MB.

Select the certificate installed on your computer with which the document will be signed. You can sign a document in Kontur.Crypto with a certificate issued by any certification authority.

Create a signature file. After you click the “Sign” button, the service will create a folder with the original document and a signature with the same name and permission.sig. The folder will save the file and signature for it on the server. These documents can be downloaded to the user's computer.

Send the document to the recipient. You can send a file and a signature for it directly from the service. The recipient will receive a link to the document saved in Kontur.Crypto. You can also download a package of documents to your computer (source document, signature file, certificate and instructions for verifying the signature) and send it through any mailer.

What to consider when using Kontur.Crypto:

• The service has a limit on the weight of the document: you can sign a document up to 100 MB.
• You can only create a detached signature in the service.
• Contour.Crypto only works in operating system Microsoft Windows.
• You can check the signature created in Kontur.Crypto in any program that works with disconnected electronic signatures.

Comparison of programs for creating electronic signatures

	CryptoPro plugins	Separate program CryptoARM	Web service Kontur.Crypto
Price		Only the basic version of Start is free	All features are available for free
Document formats	Word and Excel, PDF
Co-signature/batch signature
Maximum file weight	No restrictions	No restrictions
Creating excellence bathroom signature		Only in paid versions
Attached/detached		Attached/detached	Disconnected only
Validation, encryption and decryption functions		Only in paid versions

How to work