Assocham forms group on Digital Signatures

NEW DELHI: The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham)

has announced the formation of a sub-group which will work on 'Digital

Signatures' to promote and facilitate e- business and e- commerce. The group

will be chaired by SafeScrypt Ltd. managing director Atul Saran and have 15

members from different streams in it.

The objective of the group will be the formulation of a conducive policy

environment to promote secure e- commerce, realize its full potential and create

awareness about the need for digital signatures. Under the preview of the IT act

2000, it will develop an environmental framework for Cyber laws' implementation,

certification authority for issuance of digital signatures and integration of

digital certificates into various application areas.

Working in full coordination with the Ministry of Information Technology

(MIT) and Cyber Regulatory Advisory Committee, the sub- group will focus on the

user issues. It will also undertake education of business and individuals alike

through various means.

Saran said that the group would educate corporates in use of digital

signatures for their critical business processes and online applications like

enterprise resource planning (ERP), supply chain management, stock trading,

payment transactions and e-governance.

Digital signatures is the identity in the electronic world issued to an

individual or an organization. Digital certificates are issued by certificate

authorities after extensive checking of credentials of an individual or

organizations. As legal recognition has been granted to digital signatures and

certificates as per IT act 2000, they can be used in applications that require

signing of online transactions and documents.