How to get Digital Signature Certificate online?

Introduction

A DSC or Digital Signature Certificate is an electronic signature that authenticates the identity of an individual or organizations in online transactions. Digital Signature Certificates are much like a handwritten signature and ensure security and trust. It is widely used for e-filing, signing documents, and online transactions. It is issued by licensed Certifying Authorities and helps in maintaining data integrity, verifies user authenticity. It provides a high level of security in digital exchanges. Understanding the process of obtaining a DSC and its applications has become essential for both professionals and businesses with its increasing importance for corporate filings. In this article, we will discuss everything related to Digital Signature Certificate.

What is a Digital Signature Certificate?

A Digital Signature Certificate is issued by Certifying Authorities for validating or certifying the identity of the person holding the certificate. DSC or Digital Signature Certificate is a secure key and contains information related to the user's name, email address, country, pin code, date of certificate issuance, name of certifying authority. Digital Signature Certificate is usually valid and issued for one to two years. Also, they can be renewed before the expiry date.

Classes of DSC

DSC or Digital Signature Certificate can be classified into three main stages: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 3. These different classes are issued by the certifying authorities depending on the purpose of the applicant. In simple words DSC is issued depending on the needs of the individual. These classes are as follow:

• Class 1 Certificate: Class 1 Certificate is used for individual or private subscribers. The purpose of Class 1 certificate is to confirm the name and email of the user within the certifying authority’s database.
• Class 2 Certificate: Class 2 Certificate is used for the authorities' signatories and their main purpose is e-filing of various forms on the government portal. These portals include the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), Income Tax Website, etc. But this class was instructed to end from 1st January 2021. Now class 3 is issued at the place of class 2 certificate.
• Class 3 Certificate: Class 3 Certificate is used for vendors who wish to participate in e-auctions and online tenders all over India. These vendors must have class 3 certificates in order to participate in online auctions or tenders.

Purpose of DSC

There are 3 major purposes of DSC for which it is used:

• Sign: The major purpose of DSC is to create a sign certificate. An individual can use a sign certificate for GST return, ITR Filing, MCA Online forms filing instead of a signature. DSC helps in authenticating the user’s identity.
• Encrypt: DSC can be used for encryption. Individuals can use DSC for confidential documents on data. Enterprises or companies use DSC to encrypt or upload documents on web portals.
• Sign & Encrypt: DSC can be used for both signing and encrypting. It is suitable for forms & applications filing, ensuring the confidentiality of the data exchanged.

Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) Benefits

There are multiple advantages of Digital Signature Certificate, including:

• Verification: DSC helps in verifying the personal information or individual identity during online business.
• Time & Cost Efficient: DSC is an online certificate in PDF format, used for signing documents in seconds. It saves time and cost for the individual.
• Increases Trust: DSC enhances the confidence of the receiver by assuring the signer’s authenticity, increasing trust between parties in agreements.
• Ensuring Data Authenticity: DSC helps to cross-check and verify business transactions and is required by government agencies during processes.

Certifying Authority of DSC

The Certifying Authority is an authorized body that issues DSC. To obtain a DSC, one needs to connect with Certifying Authorities. They are licensed under Section 24 of the Indian IT Act 2000 to issue digital signature certificates. Below are the Certifying Authorities for DSC:

• National Informatics Center (NIC)
• IDRBT Certifying Authorities
• SafeScrypt CA Services, Sify Communications Ltd.
• (n) Code Solutions CA
• E-Mudhra
• CDAC
• NSDL
• Capricorn
• Pantasign
• IDSIGN
• Verasys
• Xtra Trust
• Care4Sign
• SignX
• ProDigy Sign

Documents Required for DSC

For submitting the DSC application, the following documents are required:

1. Identity Proof: Individual’s identity proof is required. They can submit any one identity card such as Aadhaar Card, PAN Card, Passport, Driving License, etc.
2. Passport Size Photograph: Passport Size Photograph is required for verification.
3. Address Proof: One address proof is required for the location confirmation. Any Utility Bill can be used as an address proof such as electricity bill, water bill, etc.

How to get Digital Signature Certificate Online?

In order to obtain a Digital Signature Certificate Online, one need to follow these steps as given below:

• Step 01: Choose Certifying Authority: In order to obtain a digital signature certificate, one needs to search for a certifying authority. Remember to check the list of certifying authority before making any decision. The authority must be approved by the CCA (Controller of Certifying Authority).
• Step 02: Documentation: Once you choose the authority, start gathering all the required documents needed in the process of obtaining DSC.
• Step 03: Submit Application: After collecting all the documents, submit the DSC Application for further procedure. In the DSC Application, you need to choose the class for your DSC.
• Step 04: Verification by CA: Once you submit the application for DSC, CA will verify the details. Some authorities may ask for in-person or video conference verification for security purposes.
• Step 05: Get Your DSC: After successful verification, CA will issue your Digital Signature Certificate. Your certificate validity will lie between 1 to 3 years depending on your need. If the verification went wrong or if CA is not satisfied with the details, he may ask for more details or can cancel the application any time.

Digital Signature Certificate Validity

The DSCs or Digital Signature Certificate is issued by Certifying Authorities. Individuals can use this certificate for personal, company or government use. Usually the DSCs are issued with one year validity and two year validity. These are renewable on expiry of the period of initial issue.

Fee Structure for Digital Signature Certificate

The fee for DSC depends on the category you’re applying for, either you can go for individual DSC or Organisational DSC. Following is the fee structure for Digital Signature Certificate:

Conclusion

In today's digital age, a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) is more than just an electronic tool. It is a vital asset for secure, verified online interactions. DSCs empower individuals and businesses to operate confidently in the digital sphere. However, the DSC can be classified into three classes: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 3. It can be obtained through Certifying Authorities, which are licensed by the CCA (Controller of Certifying Authorities). Some of the common certifying authorities include National Informatics Center (NIC), IDRBT, e-Mudhra, etc.

Frequently Asked Questions