mca dsc : class 2 digital signature certificate for efiling

1. Digital Signature Certificate
2. Computer System
3. Internet access

A Digital Signature Certificate, like hand written signature, establishes the identity of the sender filing the documents through internet which sender can not revoke or deny. Accordingly, Digital Signature Certificate is a digital equivalent of a hand written signature which has an extra data attached electronically to any message or a document. Digital Signature also ensures that no alterations are made to the data once the document has been digitally signed. A DSC is normally valid for 1 or 2 years, after which it can be renewed.

A Digital Signature is a method of verifying the authenticity of an electronic document. Digital signatures are going to play an important role in our lives with the gradual electronization of records and documents.

The IT Act has given legal recognition to digital signature meaning, thereby, that legally it has the same value as handwritten or signed signatures affixed to a document for its verification.

The Information Technology Act, 2000 provides the required legal sanctity to the digital signatures based on asymmetric cryptosystems. The digital signatures are now accepted at par with handwritten signatures and the electronic documents that have been digitally signed are treated at par with paper documents.

What can I use digital certificates for?
Three uses are outlined here. Your digital certificate could be used to allow you to access membership-based web sites automatically without entering a user name and password. It can allow others to verify your "signed" e-mail or other electronic documents, assuring your intended reader(s) that you are the genuine author of the documents, and that the content has not been corrupted or tampered with in any way. Finally, digital certificates enable others to send private messages to you: anyone else who gets his/her hands on a message meant for you will not be able to read it.

Sending Digitally Signed Mail : You can use your Digital Certificate to digitally sign your emails sent through Outlook Express / MS-Outlook etc. Digitally signing the mail authenticates your identity and enables the receiver to ensure that the mail has come from you only. It also ensures that the content of the mail is not tampered in the transit and the mail received by the receiver is the same what you have sent.

Under mca21 Every person who is required to sign manual documents and returns filed with ROC is required to obtain a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC). Accordingly following have to obtain Digital Signature Certificate:

1. Directors
2. Auditors
3. Company Secretary - Whether in practice or in job.
4. Bank Officials - for Registration and Satisfaction of Charges
5. Other Authorized Signatories.

There are 3 types of Digital Signature Certificates, having different security levels, namely :- Class-1, Class-2 , Class-3.
For filing documents under mca21, a Class-2 Digital Signature Certificate issued by a Licensed Registration Authority is required. We also offer Class 1 and 3 besides Class 2 certificates.

A Digital Signature certificate (DSC) is kept in internet explorer of computer system (PC) but keeping DSC on your computer system has following draw backs :-

a) It can be misused by anyone who is having access to your computer system.
b) DSC is lost if computer system is formatted or internet explorer is changed.

Accordingly, safe and proper method is to keep DSC on e-token, a small USB port devise, which is password protected. The said e-token is a small hardware device and can be plugged to USB port of any system to digitally sign the documents and when not in use can be kept in safe custody. e-token cost extra @ Rs. 400/- (all inclusive) Storage Media for Private keys : Guidelines & Advantages: Computer Hard Disk / Floppy / CD -R/RW/ Pen Drives / USB Drives / Flash Drives / Smart Cards / USB Crypto Tokens. and Difference between Pen Drive and USB e-token