Digital Signatures and PKI

Dr. Balaji Rajendran

Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)
Bangalore
Under the Aegis of
Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA)
Government of India
15th July 2014

1
 Agenda
 Dimensions of PKI
 Paper World Vs Electronic World
 Why Digital Signature?
 What is Digital Certificate?
 What is Digital Signature?
 Certificate Classes
 How to get DSC?
 Risks and Precautions with DS
 Legal Aspects of DSC
 Present Scenario in India

2
Dimensions of PKI
Technology Perspective
Paper Records v/s Electronic Records
 Paper Records v/s Electronic
Records
Paper Record Electronic Record
Document Form Physical Digital

Very easy to make No Yes

copies
Very fast distribution No Yes

Archival and Challenging Easy

Retrieval
Copies are as good as No. Copies are easily Yes
original distinguishable
Easily modifiable No Yes
Environmental No Yes
Friendly
 For trust
worthiness in Transactions
The following properties must be assured:
Privacy (Confidentiality): Ensuring that only Authorized persons
should read the Data/Message/Document
Authenticity: Ensuring that Data/Message/Document are genuine
Integrity : Ensuring that Data/Message/Document are unaltered by
unauthorized person during transmission
Non-Repudiation: Ensuring that one party of a transaction cannot
deny having sent/received a transaction

7
 Paper Records v/s Electronic
Records
Paper Record Electronic Record

Privacy (Confidentiality) Sealed Envelope Digital Envelope

Authenticity Hand Signature Digital Signature

Integrity Hand Signature Digital Signature

Non-Repudiation Hand Signature Digital Signature

but it is Challenging
The Scenario

Insecure Channel
 Threats: Packet Sniffing

telnet foo.bar.org
username: don
password: ***

m-y-p-a-s-s-w-o-r-d d-o-n

Breach of Confidentiality
 Threats: Data Alteration

Deposit 1,00,000 Deposit 99,990 in Gabbar’s

in Veeru’s Account Account and 10 in Veeru’s
Account

Customer Bank

Breach of Integrity
 Threats: Spoofing

I’m Veeru
Gabbar Send Me all Corporate
Correspondence
with ‘abc’.

Jai
Breach of Authenticity
Veeru
Why Digital Signature?
 Why Digital Signatures?
•To provide Authenticity, Integrity
and Non-repudiation to electronic
documents
•To use the Internet as the safe and
secure medium for e-Commerce and
e-Governance
Mathematical Perspective
 Major Components of Digital Signature

• Major cryptographic components for creating

Digital Signature are:
– Hash Functions
– Asymmetric Key Cryptography
 Hash Function

• A hash function is a cryptographic mechanism that

operates as one-way function
 Creates a digital representation or "fingerprint“
(Message Digest)
 Fixed size output

 Change to a message produces different digest

Examples : MD5 , Secure Hashing Algorithm (SHA)

17 17
 Hash - Example
Hi Jai, Message Hi Jai,
I will be in the park at I will be in the park at
3 pm 8 pm
Veeru Veeru

Hash Algorithm

Message Digest

cfa2ce53017030315fde705b9382d9f4 d4216ytf6b9385fe502b165dfe8cec17

Digests are Different

18
Hash – One-way

cfa2ce53017030315fde705b9382d9f4

X
Hi Jai,
I will be in the park at
3 pm
Veeru

19
 MD5 and SHA
Message

Hi Jai, Hi Jai, Hi Jai,

I will be in the I will be in the I will be in the

park at 3 pm park at 3 pm park at 3 pm

Veeru Veeru Veeru

MD5 SHA-1 SHA-2

Message Digest
cfa2ce53017030315f 1f695127f210144329ef
2g5487f56r4etert654tr
98e6da4f4adb92c5f18
de705b9382d9f4 c5d5e8d5ex5gttahy55e
2

128 Bits 160 Bits 224/256/384/512

 Asymmetric Key Cryptography

• Also called as Public Key Cryptography

• Uses a related key pair wherein one is Private key and another is
Public key
– One for encryption, another for decryption
• Knowledge of the encryption key doesn’t give you knowledge of
the decryption key
• A tool generates a related key pair (public & private key)
– Publish the public key in a directory

Public Key
KnJGdDzGSIHDZuOE
X Private Key
iWLI+4jxMqmqVfAKr2E

X Computationally Infeasible
21
 RSA Key pair
(including Algorithm identifier) [2048 bit]
Private Key
3082 010a 0282 0101 00b1 d311 e079 5543 0708 4ccb 0542 00e2 0d83
463d e493 bab6 06d3 0d59 bd3e c1ce 4367 018a 21a8 efbc ccd0 a2cc
b055 9653 8466 0500 da44 4980 d854 0aa5 2586 94ed 6356 ff70 6ca3
a119 d278 be68 2a44 5e2f cfcc 185e 47bc 3ab1 463d 1ef0 b92c 345f
8c7c 4c08 299d 4055 eb3c 7d83 deb5 f0f7 8a83 0ea1 4cb4 3aa5 b35f
5a22 97ec 199b c105 68fd e6b7 a991 942c e478 4824 1a25 193a eb95
9c39 0a8a cf42 b2f0 1cd5 5ffb 6bed 6856 7b39 2c72 38b0 ee93 a9d3
7b77 3ceb 7103 a938 4a16 6c89 2aca da33 1379 c255 8ced 9cbb f2cb
5b10 f82e 6135 c629 4c2a d02a 63d1 6559 b4f8 cdf9 f400 84b6 5742
859d 32a8 f92a 54fb ff78 41bc bd71 28f4 bb90 bcff 9634 04e3 459e
a146 2840 8102 0301 0001
Public Key
3082 01e4 f267 0142 0f61 dd12 e089 5547 0f08 4ccb 0542 00e2 0d83 463d
e493 bab6 0673 0d59 bf3e c1ce 4367 012a 11a8 efbc ccd0 a2cc b055 9653
8466 0500 da44 4980 d8b4 0aa5 2586 94ed 6356 ff70 6ca3 a119 d278 be68
2a44 5e2f cfcc 185e 47bc 3ab1 463d 1df0 b92c 345f 8c7c 4c08 299d 4055
eb3c 7d83 deb5 f0f7 8a83 0ea1 4cb4 3aa5 b35f 5a22 97ec 199b c105 68fd
e6b7 a991 942c e478 4824 1a25 193a eb95 9c39 0a8a cf42 b250 1cd5 5ffb
6bed 6856 7b39 2c72 38b0 ee93 a9d3 7b77 3ceb 7103 a938 4a16 6c89 2aca
da33 1379 c255 8ced 9cbb f2cb 5b10 f82e 6135 c629 4c2a d02a 63d1 6559
b4f8 cdf9 f400 84b6 5742 859d 32a8 f92a 54fb ff78 41bc bd71 28f4 bb90
bcff 9634 04de 45de af46 2240 8410 02f1 0001
Matrix of Knowledge of Keys

Key details A should B should know

know
A’s private key Yes No

A’s public key Yes Yes

B’s private key No Yes

B’s public key Yes Yes

Implementation Perspective
Digital Signature
 Hand Signature vs Digital
Signature
• A Hand Signature on a document is
– a unique pattern dependant on some secret known only to
the signer and
– Independent of the content of the message being signed
• A Digital signature of a message is
– a number dependent on some secret known only to the
signer and
– Dependent on the content of the message being signed
• Signatures must be verifiable
• Applications
– Authentication,
– Data Integrity
– Non-repudiation
What is Digital Signature?
• Hash value of a message when encrypted with the
private key of a person is his digital signature on that
e-Document
– Digital Signature of a person therefore varies from document to
document thus ensuring authenticity of each word of that
document.
– As the public key of the signer is known, anybody can verify the
message and the digital signature
 Creating Digital Signature
• Key pairs of every individual
– Public key : known to everyone
– Private key : known only to the owner
• To digitally sign an electronic document the signer uses his/her
Private key
• To verify a digital signature the verifier uses the signer’s Public
key
Digital Signing – Step 1

This is an example of
how to create a
message digest and
how to digitally sign a Message
document using Hash
Digest
Public Key
cryptography
Digital Signing – Step 2

Message Encrypt with Digital

Digest private key Signature
 Digital Signing – Step 3

This is an example of
how to create a
message digest and
how to digitally sign a
Digital
Append document using
Signature
Public Key
cryptography

Digital
Signature
Digital Signature verification

This is an example of
how to create a Message
Hash Digest
message digest and
how to digitally sign a
document using
Public Key
cryptography

Digital
Decrypt with Message
Signature public key Digest
 Signature Creation & Verification
Hashing + Encryption = Signature Creation
Transmitted Message

Signature Receiver Jai

Hash Function
Decrypt
Message Signature Hash Function
Digest

Message Expected
Digest Digest
Encrypt

Sender
If these are the same,
Alice then the message
has not changed
Veeru
Hashing + Decryption = Signature Verification
 Digital Signatures
(Examples)
I agree
efcc61c1c03db8d8ea8569545c073c814a0ed755
My place of birth is at Gwalior.
fe1188eecd44ee23e13c4b6655edc8cd5cdb6f25
I am 62 years old.
0e6d7d56c4520756f59235b6ae981cdb5f9820a0
I am an Engineer.
ea0ae29b3b2c20fc018aaca45c3746a057b893e7
I am a Engineer.
01f1d8abd9c2e6130870842055d97d315dff1ea3
• These are digital signatures of same person on different documents

• Digital Signatures are numbers

• They are content and signer dependent
Digital Signature Certificate
(DSC)
 What is Digital Certificate?
• A digital certificate binds the owners public key, name
email and other necessary information together

Veeru Info:
Name: Veeru
Department: AMD
Sign Digital
Certificate Info:
Serial No: 93939 Certificate
Exp Date:

Veeru’s Public Key

Sample Certificate
IDRBT Certificate
Paper Electronic
Certificate Classes
 Classes of Certificates
• 4 Classes of Certificates
– Class 0 Certificate
• Used only for testing and demo purposes
– Class – 1 Certificate
• Issued to Individuals
• Assurance Level: Certificate will confirm User’s name and
Email address
• Suggested Usage: Signing certificate primarily be used
for signing personal emails and encryption certificate is
to be used for encrypting digital emails and
SSL certificate to establish secure communication
through SSL
 Classes of Certificates
– Class – 2 Certificate
• Issued for both business personnel and private
individuals use
• Assurance Level: Conforms the details submitted in the
form including photograph and documentary proof
• Suggested Usage: Signing certificate may also be used
for digital signing, code signing, authentication for VPN
client, Web form signing, user authentication, Smart Card
Logon, Single sign-on and signing involved in e-
procurement / e-governance applications, in addition to
Class-I usage
 Classes of Certificates

– Class – 3 Certificate
• Issued to Individuals and Organizations
• Assurance Level: Highest level of Assurance; Proves
existence of name of the organization, and assures
applicant’s identity authorized to act on behalf of the
organization.
• Suggested Usage: Signing certificate may also be used for
digital signing for discharging his/her duties as per official
designation and also encryption certificate may also be
used for encryption requirement as per his/her official
capacity
 Certificate Extensions
Certificate Extension Description
.CER Contains only Public Key
.CRT Contains only Public Key
.DER Contains only Public Key
.P12 Contains Public and Private Key

.PFX Contains Public and Private Key

.PEM, .KEY, .JKS Contains Public and Private Key
.CSR Certificate Signing Request
.CRL Certificate Revocation List
Achieving Confidentiality
 Asymmetric Key Encryption -
Confidentiality

Message Public key Private key Message

Encrypted Message
A Encrypt Decrypt B
Eavesdropper
Risks & Precautions in PKI Security
 Private key protection
• The Private key generated
is to be protected and kept
secret. The responsibility
of the secrecy of the key
lies with the owner.

• The key is secured using

– PIN Protected soft token

– Smart Cards
– Hardware USB Tokens
PIN protected Soft Tokens
• The Private key is encrypted and
kept on the Hard Disk in a file, this
file is password protected.
• This forms the lowest level of
security in protecting the key, as
– The key is highly reachable.
– PIN can be easily known or
cracked.
• Soft tokens are not preferred
because
– The key becomes static and
machine dependent.
– The key is in a known file format.
 Smart Cards
• The Private key is generated in
the crypto module residing in the
smart card.
• The key is kept in the memory of
the smart card.
• The key is highly secured as it
doesn’t leave the card, the
message digest is sent inside the
card for signing, and the
signatures leave the card.
• The card gives mobility to the
key and signing can be done on
any system. (Having smart card
reader)
Hardware Tokens
• They are similar to smart cards in
functionality as
– Key is generated inside the token.
– Key is highly secured as it doesn’t
leave the token.
– Highly portable.
– Machine Independent.

• iKEY is one of the most commonly

used token as it doesn’t need a
special reader and can be
connected to the system using USB
port.
 General Security Lessons
• Risks are inherent in any cryptographic system
• PKI is not a one-stop solution for all your
security needs
• Any security system is only as safe as the
weakest link in a security chain!
Policy Perspective
 Policy Background
• UN Commission on International Trade Law
(UNCITRAL) adopted the Model Law on Electronic
Commerce in 1996.
– India is a signatory to this and therefore had to revise its laws
accordingly
– Indian IT Act follows the above model.
– To facilitate e-commerce and e-governance the IT Bill, 1999
was introduced in the Indian Parliament
– India enacted the Information Technology Act, 2000 that
made changes to facilitate e-commerce and e-governance
• India is one of the very few countries in the world besides Singapore
to enact cyber laws as early as in 2000
 Policy Background
• UNCITRAL Model law on e-commerce focuses on two
basic functions of a signature
– To identify the author of a document and
– To confirm that the author approved the content of that
document
• Functions of Article 7 of UNCITRAL Model Law
– Identify a person
– Associate that person with the content of a document
– Provide certainty as to the personal involvement of that person in the act
of signing
– Attest to the intent of a person to endorse authorship of a text;
– Attest to the intent of a person to associate itself with the content of a
document written by someone else;
– Attest to the fact that, and the time when a person had been at a given
place
Legal aspects of Digital Signature
as per Indian IT Act
 Objective of the Indian
IT Act 2000
• To grant legal recognition to records maintained in
electronic form
• To prescribe methods for authenticating electronic
records
• To establish a hierarchical trust model with a root CA
at the top - CCA to regulate the CAs
• To define computer system and computer network
misuse and make it legally actionable
 IT Act 2000
• IT Act 2000 made changes in the Law of
Evidence, and provides
– Legal recognition for electronic records and
electronic signatures, which paves the way for
• Legal recognition for transactions carried out by
electronic communication
• Acceptance of electronic filing of documents with the
government agencies
• Changes in the IPC and the Indian Evidence Act 1872
were made accordingly
• IT Act 2000 has extra-territorial jurisdiction to cover any
offense or contravention committed outside India
 Authentication Method Prescribed
by the Indian IT Act 2000
• The Act specifies that authentication must be by
Digital Signatures based upon Asymmetric Key
Cryptography and Hash Functions.
– The National Root CA uses a 2048 bit RSA key pair
– Other CA and end entities use 2048 bit RSA key
pairs
 Regulation of Certifying Authorities

• The IT act mandates a hierarchical Trust Model

• The IT Act provides the Controller for
Certifying Authorities (CCA) to license and
regulate the working of CA.
• The CCA operates RCAI for certifying (signing)
the public keys of CA’s using it private key
 Hierarchical Trust Model
• For a Digital Signature to have legal validity, it must derive its
trust from the Root CA certificate

National Root CA – (RCAI)

Licensed CA (Eg. NIC) Licensed CA (Eg. IDRBT) Licensed CA (Eg. nCode) ...

Subscribers Subscribers Subscribers ...

 Licensed CA’s in India
• National Root CA (RCAI) – operated by CCA
– Only issues CA certificates for licensed CAs
• 6 CAs licensed under the National Root CA
– National Informatics Centre (https://nicca.nic.in)
– eMudhra (www.e-mudhra.com)
– TCS (www.tcs-ca.tcs.co.in)
– nCode Solutions CA(www.ncodesolutions.com)
– SafeScrypt (www.safescrypt.com)
– IDRBT CA (www.idbrtca.org.in)
• As of Jan 2014, approx. 70,85,000 (7.08 Million) certificates have
been issued
 Certifying Authority (CA)
• Certifying authority is an entity which issues Digital Certificate
• It is a Trusted third party
• CA’s are the important characteristics of Public Key Infrastructure
(PKI)
Responsibilities of CA
• Verify the credentials of the person requesting for the certificate
(RA’s responsibility)
• Issue certificates
• Revoke certificate
• Generate and upload CRL
 IT Act 2000 on CCA and CAs
• Under the Indian Law, section 35 of the IT
(Amendment) Act, 2008 deals with certification and
certifying authorities
• IT Act 2000 recognizes even foreign CAs and gives the
power to the CCA to decide on the same
– CCA can also revoke the certificate for violation in any
restriction or condition on which it was recognized by giving
reasons in writing.
 Indian IT Act (Amended 2008)
• The term ‘Digital Signature’ is now superseded
by a term ‘Electronic Signature’
– Electronic signature is a generalized term; while
Digital signature is application of cryptographic
techniques to avail a reliable electronic signature.
• A subscriber may authenticate any electronic
record by such electronic signature or
electronic authentication technique which is
considered reliable
 IT Act (Amended) 2008
– The signature creation data or the authentication data are
within the context in which they are used, linked to the
signatory or, as the case may be, the authenticator and of no
other person;
– The signature creation data or the authentication data were, at
the time of signing, under the control of the signatory or, as
the case may be, the authenticator and of no other person;
– Any alteration to the electronic signature made after affixing
such signature is detectable;
– Any alteration to the information made after its
authentication by electronic signature is detectable;
 IT Act - Digital Signature
• A ‘Digital Signature’ means an electronic signature
created by transforming a data message using a message
digest function and encrypting the resulting
transformation with an asymmetric cryptosystem using
the signer’s private key, such that any person having the
initial untransformed data message, the encrypted
transformation, and the signer’s corresponding public
key can accurately determine:
– (i) transformation was created using the private key that
corresponds to the signer’s public key; and
– (ii) whether the initial data message has been altered since the
transformation was made.
Case 1: E-Procurement

Present Scenario in India

 PKI enabled Applications
1 E-Invoice
(B2C)

2 E-Tax Filing (G2C)

3 E-Customs (G2B)
4 E-Passport (G2C) - Presently in India, the Ministry of External Affairs has
started issuing e-Passports in Karnataka state with the fingerprints
and the digital photo of applicant
5 E-Governance Bhoomi (G2C)
a PKI enabled registration and Land Records Services offered by
Govt. of Karnataka to the people. All the land records and
certificates issued are digitally signed by the respective officer
6 E-Payment (B2B) - In India, currently between banks fund transfers are done
using PKI enabled applications whereas between customers and
vendors such as online shopping vendor the payment is done
through SSL thereby requiring the vendor to hold DSC )
 PKI enabled Applications

7 E-Billing (B2C) -The electronic delivery and presentation of financial

statement, bills, invoices, and related information sent by a
company to its customers)

8 E-Procurement G2B , B2B

9 E-insurance (B2C) - Presently the users are getting the E-Premium

service Receipts etc. which is digitally signed by the provider
 Other Implementations
• DGFT - Clearance of goods are now initiated
by exporters through push of a button and in
their offices;
– Previously it used to take days; and requests are
cleared within 6 hours
• Indian Patent office has implemented e-filing of
patents and allows only use of Class-3
Certificates
– Around 30% of e-filing of patents is happening now,
among the total filings.
 C-DAC Activities in PKI Domain

• PKI Outreach Programme

• PKI based Secure Messaging System
 References
• Cryptography and Network security – principles and practice William Stallings
• Applied Cryptography, Second Edition: Bruce Schneier
• http://campustechnology.com/articles/39190_2
• http://csrc.nist.gov/
• Handbook of Applied Cryptography, by Menezes
• Cryptographic Techniques for N/w Security
• http://www.productivity501.com/digital-signatures-encryption/4710/
• http://www.arx.com/digital-signatures-faq
• http://www.asclonline.com/images/d/d4/Simple_Guide_to_Digital_Signatures.pdf
• http://www.digitalsignatureindia.com/faq.php#3a
• http://www.asianlaws.org/library/infosec/obtaining-digital-signature-certificate.pdf
• http://nicca.nic.in/pdf/EncrBack.pdf
• http://nicca.nic.in/pdf/DSC-Request-Form.pdf
• http://cca.gov.in/
• www.seekha.in/events/pki - for slides and resources
• Ryder, Rodney D, Guide to Cyber Laws, 3rd Edition, Wadhwa & Company, New Delhi 2007
74
 Conclusion
• Digital Signatures has been and continue to
transform the way traditional transactions
happen
• Digital Signatures when implemented fully in an
ecosystem, can bring in transparency,
accountability, cost-savings, and speed of
execution
• Digital Signatures can become integral part of
our digital identity
Thank You