Dynamic content attacks on digital signatures

Abstract

Purpose Aims to address some of the problems that arise when signing digital documents that contain dynamic content. Design/methodology/approach Briefly introduces the problem of signing digital documents with dynamic content and discusses possible locations for signature functionality in a computer system. Outlines existing solutions to the problems and introduces a novel solution. Finally, discusses issues and unresolved problems. Findings The suggested solution requires all document handling applications to possess application awareness of the digital signature program in order to function properly. Every application must implement a COM interface and register itself in the Registry, in a locale specific to the digital signature program to sign the digital document. Originality/value Provides a new solution to the problem of digitally signing a digital document.