DSC (Digital Signature Certificate) is an electronic document that contains information about the identity of a person, organization or entity, and is used to sign electronic documents and transactions. It provides a way to authenticate the identity of the signer, ensuring that the signature cannot be repudiated or denied by the signer.
There are two types of digital signatures: Signing Only and Signing with Encryption.
Signing only is a process where the digital signature is used to sign a document, but the contents of the document are not encrypted. This means that the document can be read by anyone who has access to it, but the digital signature ensures that the document has not been altered or tampered with.
Used In: Income Tax Site, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Goods & Service Tax
Signing with Encryption, on the other hand, not only signs the document, but also encrypts its contents. This ensures that the document can only be read by the intended recipient, who has the key to decrypt the contents. This type of digital signature is particularly useful for confidential documents, such as contracts, financial statements, or medical records.
Used In: Tenders, DGFT, Ice-Gate, AD Code, etc.
In summary, the main difference between signing only and signing with encryption is that signing only provides authentication and integrity of the document, while signing with encryption also provides confidentiality of the contents.