Certifying PDF files with BlueRidge

Adobe PDF provides two types of digital signatures: standard and certification signatures. Documents with a certified digital signature are significantly different from those signed with a regular PDF digital signature. Signatures that certify a PDF are called certifying signatures.

A PDF document signed with a CDS certificate carries the security assurance of the issuing Certification Authority. Only the first person to sign a PDF can add a certifying signature. A certifying signature attests to the contents of the document and allows the signer to specify the types of changes allowed for the document to remain certified.

With non-certifying digital signatures, a user must explicitly trust the author of a document or trust all identities in the Microsoft Certificate Store. With certifying signatures chained to the Adobe root certificate, trust is built into the Adobe software. No additional software or configuration is required to validate its authenticity.

Benefits of certifying with BlueRidge

BlueRidge provides a way to easily check the authenticity of issued PDF documents. The longevity of digitally signed documents with embedded CRL or OCSP responses also aids long term document archival and auditing. There is no need for additional software or swapping trusted CAs or special configuration for time-stamping and CRL or OCSP. It’s already integrated. If digitally signed, with a valid timestamp and revocation check, your signature shall remain valid even after the certificate has expired or even if it was revoked after the fact. The OCSP/CRL and time stamping features are provided in the base price of the service.