Signer.Digital Digital Signature, PKI

Signer.Digital Digital Signature, PKI is a Chrome extension developed by Chartered Information Systems Pvt. Ltd., India, that enables digital signing and cryptographic operations directly from the browser. It eliminates the need for Java Runtime Environment (JRE) on Windows, Linux, or macOS, making it lightweight and easy to deploy. This extension is designed for professionals and organizations that require secure digital signatures for documents, returns, and authentication processes, leveraging certificates stored on smart cards, USB tokens, PFX files, local certificate stores, or Hardware Security Modules (HSMs).

Key Features and Use Cases

• Digital Signing of Various Content Types: Sign eReturns, XML, hashes, content, documents, PDFs, and more directly from the browser. This is particularly useful for tax filing, legal document execution, and any workflow that requires legally binding signatures.
• Web User Authentication: Use digital certificates for strong authentication to web applications. This provides a higher level of security compared to passwords, suitable for banking, government portals, and enterprise systems.
• RSA Encryption and Decryption: Encrypt and decrypt data using RSA keys stored on your hardware token, smart card, or HSM. This is essential for secure data exchange, such as transmitting sensitive information over the internet.
• Certificate Enrollment and Download: Generate Certificate Signing Requests (CSR) and download certificates directly onto smart cards or USB tokens from the browser. This streamlines the certificate issuance process, eliminating the need for separate tools.
• Detection of Connected Smartcards: Use the API to list connected smart cards or USB tokens, helping users identify the correct device before performing operations.
• Support for ICP-Brazil and ITIDA Egypt: As of July 2022, the extension supports certificates from these specific authorities, broadening its international usability.
• User-Controlled Allowed Origins: Before each operation, the extension host displays a dialog where the user can choose to 'Deny', 'Allow Once', 'Always Allow', or 'Manage Origins'. This gives users full control over which websites can access the signing and encryption functions, enhancing security.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Works on Chrome and Chromium-based Edge browsers. The Windows host application is available for download, and Linux and Mac host applications can be obtained by contacting the developer.
• HSM Integration: Chartered Information Systems also provides secure slots in HSM hosted in multi-tenant mode, enabling digital signing without local hardware tokens.

The extension is widely used for digitally signing PDF documents from the browser, web authentication using digital certificates, signing eReturns, and data encryption/decryption using smart cards or USB tokens. Developers can integrate these capabilities into their web applications using the provided APIs, with sample code, walkthroughs, and source code available at the help documentation. Additionally, Signer.Digital.Weblib is free for single-page signing from .NET web applications, making it accessible for small projects. For certifying authorities, the extension supports certificate enrollment and download, and they can contact the developer for integration details.