Distributed validation of digitally signed electronic documents

摘要

Systems and methods are presented for distributed validation of a digitally signed electronic document. A computing device accesses both a representation of the electronic document and a digital signature for the electronic document that includes a digest generated by the digital signature's creator by applying a one-way function to the electronic document. The computing device applies the same one-way function to the accessed representation of the electronic document to generate a new digest, and includes both the digital signature and the new digest in a request sent to a separate validation server. The request does not include the electronic document. The validation server generates validation results that depend on comparing the digest from the digital signature with the new digest, and that do not depend on having the electronic document available to the validation server. The computing device receives the validation results from the separate validation server.

主权项

1. A method, comprising:
performing, by a computing device:
accessing an electronic document and a digital signature for the electronic document, the digital signature comprising a digest of the electronic document generated from applying a one-way function to the electronic document;generating a new digest of the electronic document, said generating the new digest comprises applying the one-way function to the accessed electronic document;sending, for receipt by a separate validation server, a request to validate the digital signature, the request comprising the digital signature and the new digest, and does not include the electronic document; andreceiving, from the separate validation server, validation results for the digital signature, the validation results depending from a comparison of the digest from the digital signature with the new digest on the separate validation server, the comparison being:
based on a comparison of the digital signature sent by the computing device with the new digest sent by the computing device; andindependent of having the electronic document available to the validation server.