Print this page Introduction to Digital Signatures - Part One
Daryl S. Banks, PSM
Course Outline
This course covers the following criteria applying to CAD drawings and Digital Signatures:
- Fundamentals and Background (2hour)
- Algorithm Security (30 min)
- Security Methods (30 min)
- Certificates (1 hour)
- Digital Identification (1 hour)
- Digitally Sign and Seal (30 min)
- Storage and Distribution (30 min)
This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.
Learning Objective
At the conclusion of this course, the student will:
- Learn fundamentals of encryption and hashing;
- Learn how to password protect, encrypt, and digitally sign CAD documents;
- Learn how to sign and verify CAD file with Digital ID;
- Learn how to buy ,install and distribute certificates;
- Learn the mechanics of a certificate; and
- Learn long term storage techniques like network server, middleware, and cloud.
Intended Audience
This course is intended for architects, engineers, surveyors, and contractors.
Benefit for Attendee
Attendee of this course will be able to prevent situations that provide the most potential for CAD file reverse engineering and impersonation.
Course Introduction
A Digital Signature is not a digitized signature (an electronic scan of a signature). While a Digital Signature helps prove their identity and a drawing's authenticity, a digitized signature is nothing more than an electronic version of their own signature inserted or attached to a CAD drawing. It can be forged and copied, and has no tangible security value. Digital Signature is a widely used term that uses a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) certificate known as a Digital ID. PKI is inseparable from digital certificates. A PKI is responsible for issuing certificates, ensuring the distribution of these certificates through a directory, and validating certificates.
Course Content
The course content is contained in the following PDF file:
Introduction to Digital Signatures - Part One
Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.
You may need to download Acrobat Reader to view and print the document.
Course Summary
When delivering CAD files by email, FTP, or Internet, a Digital Signature should be applied to the document. This requires the user to obtain a 3rd party Digital ID to apply a Digital Signature to CAD files. By applying Digital Signatures to documents, the signer is assured the document has not been changed, if returned.
Related Links and References
For additional supplemental technical information related to this subject, please read another two of our courses titled:
http://www.aecsignature.com
http://technet.microsoft.com/en‐us/library/cc962029.aspx
http://technet.microsoft.com/en‐us/library/bb123848(v=exchg.65).aspx
Quiz
Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.
DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.
