ETD Guide/Technical Issues/Encryption; Watermarking

Encryption and Digital Signature Overview: Using digital signatures

Digital signatures act like conventional signatures - allowing you to "sign off" on anything that requires an approval. You can simply attach your "signature" to the document. In addition, a signature stores information, like the date and time, and allows you to track document versions and validate their authenticity.

To create a digital signature profile:


 * 1) Choose Tools > Self-Sign Signatures > Log In.
 * 2) In the Acrobat Self-Sign Signatures - Log In dialog box, click New Profile.
 * 3) In the User Attributes area of the Acrobat Self-Sign Signatures - Create New User dialog box, enter your name and whatever other information you want to include in the three optional fields.
 * 4) In the Profile File area of the Acrobat Self-Sign Signatures - Create New User dialog box, enter the path name for the folder in which you want to store your signature profile or click Browse and choose a folder. Enter a password of at least six characters in the User Password and Confirm Password fields and then click OK.

To add a digital signature to a document:


 * 1) Click on the Digital Signature tool in the Tool bar and then click and drag where you want to place your signature.
 * 2) In the Acrobat Self-Sign Signatures- Sign Document dialog box you can select an option from the Reason for Signing Document pop-up menu or enter a reason in the field, and you can enter a location in the Location, e.g. City Name field. Note: If you're using a third-party signature handler, follow the instructions displayed on screen. You may be prompted to log in to the handler or enter required information.
 * 3) Enter your password in the Confirm User Password field and then click Save Document.
 * 4) If this is the first signature added to the document, the Save As dialog box is displayed. Enter a name and choose a location for the file and then click OK. Note: If the Save As dialog box is displayed when you add a digital signature, you end up with two copies of the document: one unsigned and one signed.
 * 5) From this point on, you should use the signed version.
 * 6) To display a list of a document's signatures, click the Signatures tab in the Navigation pane. The Signatures palette's pop-up menu contains several commands for working with digital signatures; the Properties command lets you see the attributes of a digital signature.

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