Author: Jakub Ďuraš
Tutor: RNDr. Viliam Kačala
Keywords: electronic signature, electronic seal, qualified, open-source, XAdES, PAdES, CAdES, desktop software
With the recent changes in the legal status of electronic signatures in the world, there is an opportunity to expand the use of electronic signatures as an alternative to handwritten signatures outside the usual areas. Electronic signatures are becoming increasingly important in the age of electronic communication when handwritten signatures are unpractical due to the need to print, personally exchange, or send signed documents. We devote our attention to the exploration of legal preconditions relevant for the EU, technological preconditions, review of the existing software, and proposal of our own software platform. The result is open, user-friendly software for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. Using the application, it is possible, following the eIDAS Regulation, to sign and verify the signature of any document with the legal effect of an attested signature. Our solution supports ID cards of the Slovak Republic with the eID chip without any modifications or settings, which enables easy use outside the usual use in web applications of the state. The application is not tied only to the Slovak eID but is ready for further use with various devices in different countries and as a platform for other types of signatures. Another part is a website that, in addition to the possibility of downloading software and brief documentation, provides general information about electronic signatures so that the project is as accessible to the public as possible. We concentrate on simple extensibility of the program via language translations, documentation, functionality, and general information.