2008 International Conference on Computer Science and Software Engineering
The Application of a Scheme of Digital Signature in
Electronic Government
Na Zhu
Hebei University of Technology
Tianjin, China
yiwuyuan@163.com
Abstract—In electronic government where there is not complete
trust between documents’ sender and receiver, something more
than authentication is needed. The most attractive solution to this
problem is the digital signature which is analogous to the
handwritten signature. The signature is formed by taking the
hash of the message and encrypting the message with the
creator’s private key. It guarantees the source and integrity of
the message. Then a suitable digital signature algorithm will be
picked out as a result of comparing and analyzing three main
digital signature algorithms in this paper. Finally, a scheme of
digital signature in electronic government will be proposed in
order to settle some specific problems such as spilling out secret,
forging or denial and so on. Besides, a brief analysis regarding
security will be given for this scheme.
Keywords-component; digital signature;electronic government;
RSA; DSA;ECDSA
I. INTRODUCTION
In network environment confidentiality, integrity,
authenticity and anti-denial of circulating documents can be
solved by digital signature applied in electronic government.
However, other correlate factors should be considered: First is
the complicate and flexible workflow in electronic
government; second is the security of digital signature
algorithm; third is the speed problem of signing and verifying
in digital signature. Too much emphasis on security of digital
signature theory previously, such as using complex signing
scheme or increasing computing size in order to enhance
security, while ignoring practicality. In practical application,
security is often influenced by machines’ operating speed. And
transmitting speed is a big bottleneck especially in network
environment [1]. Therefore to simplify operation should be a
problem solved urgently under the premise of how to ensure
safety.
II. COMPARISON AND ANALYSIS AMONG THREE DIGITAL
SIGNATURE ALGORITHMS
It has become clear over the past several decades that
public-key (asymmetric) cryptography is an indispensable tool
for simplifying key management and enabling secure
communication. And digital signature algorithms exactly build
on it. There are three main contenders: RSA (Rivest-Shamir-
Adleman), DSA (Digital Signature Algorithm) and ECDSA
978-0-7695-3336-0/08 $25.00 © 2008 IEEE
DOI 10.1109/CSSE.2008.929
GuoXi Xiao
Hebei University of Technology
Tianjin, China
xiaoguoxi@scse.hebut.edu.cn
(Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm). Each has a
variable key size that can be increased to achieve higher
security at the cost of slower cryptographic operations. The
best attack known on each public-key cryptosystem requires
an amount of computation determined by a security parameter
which is related to the key size [2][3].
A. RSA
The RSA public-key cryptosystem involves exponentiation
modulo a number n that is the product of two large prime
numbers. Plaintext is encrypted in blocks, with each block
having a binary value less than the number n. That is, the block
size must be less than or equal to log2(n); in practice, the block
size is i bits, where 2i<n≤2i+1.Encryption and decryption are of
the following form, for some plaintext block M and ciphertext
block C:
C = M e mod n
M = C d mod n = (M e) d mod n = M ed mod n
Both sender and receiver must know the value of n. The
sender knows the value of e, and only the receiver knows the
value of d. Thus, this is a public-key encryption algorithm with
a public key of PU = {e,n} and a private key of PR ={d,n}.
When referring to the key size for RSA, what is meant is
the length of the modulus n in bits. A typical key size for RSA
is 1024 bits. RSA can be used for encryption and also be used
for digital signature.
B. DSA
The DSA[4] is based on the difficulty of computing
discrete logarithms and is based on schemes originally
presented by ElGamal and Schnorr. Specifically, the DSA is
public-key techniques based on exponentiation modulo a large
prime number p. For this scheme, the key size is the length of
the prime p in bits, and a typical value is 1024 bits. When
exploiting the size of it, the best attack known is the General
Number Field Sieve. However, another important security
parameter is the size of exponents used for exponentiation. For
DSA, the exponent size is fixed at 160 bits.
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C. ECDSA
Elliptic curve cryptography makes use of elliptic curves in
which the variables and coefficients are all restricted to
elements of a finite field. Typically, elliptic curves are defined
over either the integers modulo a prime number (GF(p)) or
over binary polynomials (GF(2m)). When referring to the key
size, what is meant is the size of the prime number or binary
polynomials in bits. Typical key sizes are in the range 160 to
200 bits. The security parameter is the size of multipliers which
is limited to the order of the generator used and slightly smaller
than the key size.
D. Comparative conclusions
TABLE I. DIGITAL SIGNATURE TIMINGS
RSA-1024 DSA-1024 ECDSA-168
(e=3) (over GF(p))
sign 43 7 5
verify 0.6 27 19
key
1100 7 7
generation
parameter large
generation none 6500 (research area)
Table 1 comes from RSA library that summarizes the
computation times for the operation associated with digital
signatures. For the most frequent operations, signing and
signature verification, DSA and ECDSA over GF(p) are
comparable. However, RSA is slower for signing and much
faster for signature verification. Elliptic curves over (GF(2m))
appear to be slower than those over (GF(p)).
For certificate-based systems implemented in software,
such as Certification Authority (CA) key pairs are used for
signing and verifying the signatures on certificates and
Certificate Revocation Lists (CRLs). Each certificate and CRL
is signed once and is verified thousands of times. Therefore,
the most critical operation is signature verification. RSA’s
very fast signature verification is important here. So I will
choose RSA digital signature to apply in this scheme so that
PKI can be extend in research afterward.
III. A SCHEME OF DIGITAL SIGNATURE
In fact digital signature should be one solution on the basis
of combination of several kinds of encryption technology but
not one specific technology implement. You can see them as
follows.
A. Hash function
May be sometimes sources are too long to sign or encrypt,
message digest or called hash function will be needed at this
time. Thus the signing or encrypting speed may be greatly
improved. A hash function accepts a variable-size message M
as input and produces a fixed-size output, referred to as a hash
code H(M)[5]. There are two main contenders: MD5 and SHA
(Secure Hash Algorithm). The latter is superior to the former
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both anti-exhaustive attack capability and anti-cryptanalysis
capability. But SHA’s speed is slower than MD5.
B. Symmetric and asymmetric cryptography
Relatively, symmetric cryptography has higher speed in
encryption and decryption but more difficult key management
than asymmetric cryptography.
For example, the famous symmetric cryptography is DES.
But given the potential vulnerability of DES to a brute-force
attack, an alternative method will be chosen which would
preserve the existing investment in software and equipment, is
to use multiple encryption with DES and multiple keys. It is
called triple DES (3DES).
C. Digital time-stamp
Consider a question that may be asked by a computer user
as he or she views a digital document or on-line record: When
was the record created or last modified? A system for answer
this question is called a digital time-stamping which is a
certificate for a particular record (specifying what) at a
particular time (specifying when).
Two features of a digital time-stamping system are
particularly helpful in enhancing the integrity of a digital
signature system. First, a time-stamping system cannot be
compromised by the disclosure of a key. This is because digital
time-stamping systems do not rely on keys, or any other secret
information. Second, digital time-stamping certificates can be
renewed so as to remain valid indefinitely [6].
D. Design for the scheme of digital signature
Considering these factors above, I propose a scheme of
digital signature which based on the combination of
symmetric and asymmetric cryptography. Specifically, 3DES
will be selected for encrypting sources, and RSA will be
selected for digital signature and transmitting secret key (the
key for symmetric cryptography is called secret key and the
keys for asymmetric cryptography are called public key and
private key). Of course hash function and digital time-stamp
must also be applied in this scheme. Fig.1 displays this
scheme.
Something should be pay attention to: (1) This scheme is a
simplified model without PKI (Public-Key Infrastructure), So
I assumed that both sender and receiver have already obtained
the public key from each other. Respectively the public and
private keys are (Ka1, Ka2) belong to the sender, (Kb1, Kb2)
belong to the receiver. (2) In the middle of the figure 1 is a
heavy line that represents communication network; upward
side is the sender; under side is the receiver. The dotted curve
represents transmitting process.
Steps in this scheme:
Step 1: Electronic document is processed by hash function
that produces hash value. Then both hash value and digital
time-stamp will be signed by RSA by means of private key
Ka1 belongs to the sender. At the same time, electronic
document is encrypted by 3DES that produces ciphertext.
Besides, secret key will be encrypted by RSA by means of
public key Kb2 belongs to the receiver, and it forms a cipher block digital signature and ciphertext are transmitted from
(a small light grey rectangular in the right hand of Fig.1). Both sender to receiver.
Step 2: The digital signature and ciphertext are
Electronic document
separated by receiver. Firstly, digital signature is
verifying by means of public key Ka2 belongs to the
Hash 3DES sender that produces hash value and digital time-stamp.
function Secondly, hash value will be signed by RSA by means
of private key Kb1 belongs to the receiver whose action
is doing reply to the sender.
Hash Digital Cipher-text RSA
value time encryption Step 3: After obtaining the digital signature form
-stamp After for secret receiver (a small dark grey rectangular in the left hand
signing and key (Kb2) of figure 1), which will be verifying by means of public
time key Kb2 belongs to the receiver. Then the sender can
RSA digital -stamping’s obtain a hash value which must be compared with the
signature’s signing hash value step 1’s hash value. The cipher block in step 1 will be
RSA transmitted to receiver only if the two hash values are
process (Ka1)
digital identical with each other.
signature’s
verifying Transmitting only if two Step 4: The cipher block decrypted by RSA by
process hash values are identical means of private key Kb1 from the receiver. Then the
(Kb2) Comparison receiver can obtain the secret key which can be used for
with each other 3DES decryption for the ciphertext. As a result,
electronic document can be obtained.
Step 5: The electronic document from step 4 should
After signing be processed by hash function that produces hash
and time Cipher value. Compare this hash value with step 2’s hash
-stamping’s -text value, at the same time check to the digital time-stamp
hash value RSA obtained from step 2. The receiver can accept the
decryption electronic document only if both hash values are
for secret identical and digital time-stamp is accurate.
RSA digital key (Kb1)
Analyzing the security of this scheme: several
signature’s properties such as confidentiality, integrity,
verifying process 3DES
authenticity, anti-denial and anti-replacement attack
(Ka2) Secret have implemented successfully in this scheme of digital
key signature. Specifically, anti-denial is implemented in
Electronic step 2 and step 3; anti-replacement attack is
document implemented in step 2 and step 5.

RSA IV. CONCLUSION

digital Hash A scheme of digital signature is proposed in this
signature’s function paper, which applies in specific environment of
signing electronic government. This scheme solves some
process secure problems in electronic document such as not
Hash Digital Hash
(Kb1) enough trust between sender and receiver and so on. In
value time-stamp value a word emphasis is placed on how to combine security
with efficiency in electronic government. But the
secure problems that can be solved thoroughly also
Comparison need to consider other factors like the security and
credibility of both network and relating hardware [7],
or strengthen the management of operating personnel.

Accepting only if two hash values REFERENCES

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Figure 1. A scheme of digital signature
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