DSC & DEC Digital Signature Certificate & Digital Encryption Certificate

DSC - Digital signature Certificate

• Computer generated digital key - which contains the complete identity of the owner of the certificate.

• Issued by Licensed CA - Certification Authority

• List of CAs available  - www.cca.gov.in

• Examples of CAs - NIC, IDRBT, TCS, MTNL etc

• Validity - 1 or 2 years

• Purpose: Used to digitally sign an electronic document for calling tenders through e tendering.

• Issued to Official by name (not Designation)

• Purchased as Consumable (not T & P)

• Device Driver required to use DSC

• Not to be handed over to any one on superannuation of the official in whose name it was purchased.

• Get it revoked, if not required further.

• Safe custody of DSC - Responsibility of Official in whose name it was purchased.

DSC - Classes

Class	Valid email	Email verified against trusted & Pre verified data base	Personal verification (Present in person in front of RA - Registration Authority)
I	ü	X	X
II	ü	ü	X
III	ü	ü	ü

Advantages:

1.       Helps authentication - Identity is established by the CA database

2.       Helps non repudiation of Document

DEC - Digital Encryption Certificate

• Purchased in the name of the Official of the unit.

• Functions similar to DSC

• Purpose: To encrypt the Document

• Every Railway Dept should have one DEC

• It is not the property of the official in whose name it was purchased.