Demystifying DSS: The Digital Signature Standard

This paper examines the requirements of signatures, outlines the technologies involved in creating digital signatures, and describes the components of the Digital Signature Standard (DSS). The basic concepts, not the math, are the focus of the technology investigation. Public key encryption algorithms and secure hash algorithms are explained and discussed. A discussion of the legal aspects of signatures is included. Finally, a comparison is made between paper signatures and digital signatures, showing that digital signatures provided within a well-provisioned Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) satisfy the requirements of signatures at least as well as paper signatures.