User guide for signing and encrypting emails with the GLOBALTRUST CLIENT certificate on your Apple iPhone
As of May 10, 2023

1 Basic

1.1 Goals of this document

A step-by-step guide on how to add the certificate to your iPhone to then sign and/or encrypt emails. This guide was created for an Apple iPhone (iOS version: 16.2).

1.2 Purchase of suitable certificate

The following product type of our certificates supports the signing and encryption of e-mails on an Apple iPhone
✓ CLIENT

✓ You can find an overview of all products here
✓ You can find general information on signing and encrypting e-mails here

2 Short version

Installation of the certificate

✓ Open our Globaltrust Mail→ Click on the download link → Enter your data → “Send” → Install .p12 file → Allow configuration profile
✓ “Settings” → “Profile loaded” → “Install” → enter the screen password → “Install” → enter the password for the certificate

Add certificate to email account

✓ Search for “Mail” in the settings and click → select the email that belongs to the certificate
✓ Click on “Account” → “Advanced settings” → “Sign” and/or “Encrypt by default”.

Send signed email

✓ Create new email draft → Enter recipient, subject and message → Send

✓ Search for “Mail” in the settings and click → select the email that belongs to the certificate
✓ Click “Account” → “Advanced Settings” → “Sign” and “Encrypt”.
✓ Install the recipient’s certificate.
✓ Create new email draft → Enter recipient, subject and message → Send

Note: With S/MIME encryption, both communication partners require a suitable certificate.

3 Detailed documentation

3.1 Step I – Installation of the certificate

Legend:

1. Open “Mail”

Legend:

1. Open our Globaltrust email.
2. Open the link to download the certificate.

Legend:

1. 1.  Enter the 18-digit reference number (is included in the e-mail)
   2. Enter activation pin
   3. Enter new certificate password

Legend:

1. Install pfx format

Legend:

1. Click “Allow”.

Legend:

1. Click on “Close”

Legend:

1. Open “Settings”

Legend:

1. Click on “Profile loaded”

Legend:

1. Click on “Install”

Legend:

1. Enter “Screen Code” to confirm the installation

Legend:

1. Click “Install”.

Legend:

1. Click “Install”.

Legend:

1. Enter the password of the certificate

Note: This is the password that you entered as the new password when installing the certificate.

Legend:

1. Here we now see the configuration profile which we have set up for a signature or encryption.

3.2 Step II – Add certificate to email account

Now that we’ve installed our certificate and set up our configuration profile, we’re ready to sign emails.

Legend:

1. In Settings, search for “Mail” in the search bar

Legend:

1. Click on “Accounts”.

Legend:

1. Select the e-mail account that is also assigned to the certificate. In this case it is an Outlook mail.

Legend:

1. Click on “Account”.

Legend:

1. Click on “Advanced Settings”

Legend:

1. Under the following sub-items you can activate the signature or the standard encrbyption

Note: With S/MIME encryption, both communication partners require a suitable certificate.

Legend:

1. Click on the controller → Controller turns green and a tick appears next to the certificate.

3.3 STEP III – Send signed email

In order to carry out this section, you have to click on the tab in the sub-item Signing in the last step.

Legend:

1. Open settings.
2. If the “Mail” app has not been closed beforehand, it must be closed once so that the certificate can be used.
3. Open “Mail” app

Legend:

1. Create a new email draft

Legend:

1. Enter the recipient, subject if necessary, and a message.
2. Click on the arrow to send your message

3.3 Schritt IV – Send signed and encrypted e-mail

To carry out this section, you have to click on the tab in the last step, in the sub-item “Sign” and “Encrypt by default”. In addition, with S/MIME encryption, both communication partners must have a suitable certificate.

Before you can send an encrypted message, you must also install the recipient’s certificate

Legend:

1. Click on the recipient whose certificate you want to install.

Legend:

1. Click View Certificate

Legend:

1. Click on “Install”

Legend:

1. After successful installation, click on “Done” at the top right.

Legend:

1. After successful installation, a tick appears next to the recipient’s certificate.

If you have activated the “Standard encryption” then you cannot send an encrypted e-mail to people whose certificate you have not installed. If you try anyway. you will see a crossed-out lock in the recipient bar on the right, as also indicated below.

If you have activated the “Standard encryption” and want to send an e-mail to a person whose certificate you have already installed, then after entering the recipient you will notice that the lock is no longer crossed out and at the top there is an inscription “Encrypted” shows up.

Legend:

1. Click on the arrow to send your encrypted and signed email.

User guide for signing and encrypting emails using the GLOBALTRUST UPC token V2.0 (issued from May 15, 2023) in Microsoft Outlook.
As of May 9, 2023

1 Basics

1.1 Goals of this document

A step-by-step guide on how to add the certificate in Microsoft Outlook to sign and/or encrypt emails.
These instructions were created for Microsoft Outlook 2016 

1.2 Procurement of suitable certificate

The following product type of our UPC token supports the signing and encryption of emails
✓ UPC-Bundle (V2.0 issued from May 15, 2023)
✓ UPC-Token (V2.0 issued from May 15, 2023)

Folgender Produkttyp unserer UPC-Token unterstützt das Signieren von E-Mails
✓ UPC-Bundle (V1.0 issued before May 15, 2023)
✓ UPC-Token (V1.0 issued before May 15, 2023)

Note: A subsequent upgrade is not possible.

The following additional product types also support the signing and encryption of e-mails:
✓ COMPANY
✓ SIGNATURE
✓ AUTHENTICATION

✓ An overview of all products can be found here here
✓ General information about the GLOBALTRUST UPC Bundle/Token can be found here
✓ General information on signing and encrypting e-mails can be found here

2 Short version

Adding the certificate in Outlook

✓ Click under “File” → “Options” → “Trust Center” → “Trust Center Settings”.
✓ In the newly appeared window under “E-Mail Security” → “Settings” click to set up a new security settings profile
✓ Enter any name for the security setting, then click on the required certificate via “Signing certificate” and “Encryption certificate” under “Choose…”. (If the certificate is not displayed immediately, click on “More options”)

Signing emails

✓ Click “New E-Mail” at the top left. Under “Options” click on “Sign”.
✓ Enter recipient, subject and message if necessary. Send.

Encrypting emails

✓ Add the recipient to the address book. (If already done skip this point)
✓ Click “New E-Mail” at the top left. Under “Options” click on “Encrypt”.
✓ Enter recipient, subject and message if necessary. Send.

Note: With S/MIME encryption, both communication partners require a suitable certificate.

Sign and encrypt emails

✓ Add the recipient to the address book. (If already done skip this point)
✓ Click “New E-Mail” at the top left. Under “Options” click on “Encrypt” and “Sign”.
✓ Enter recipient, subject and message if necessary. Send.

Note: With S/MIME encryption, both communication partners require a suitable certificate.

3 Detailed documentation

3.1 Step I – Adding the certificate in Outlook

3.1.1 Open settings

Click on “File”

Legend:

1. Choose “File”  

Click on “Options”

Legend:

1. Click on the left side bar at the bottom on “Options”

3.1.3 Enter the Trust Center

Trust center

Legend:

1. Click on “Trust Center”.
2. Open “Trust Center Settings”.

3.1.4 Open Security Profiles

Open email security settings

Legend:

1. Click on “Email security”
2. Under “Encrypted email messages” click on “Settings”.

3.1.5 Choose certificate

Requirement: UPC token must be plugged in!

Change security settings

Legend:

1. Set “Security Settings Name”.
2. Select “Default Security Setting for this cryptographic message format”.
3. Select “Signing Certificate” by pressing “Choose…”
4. Select “Encryption Certificate” by pressing “Choose…”
5. “Send these certificates with signed messages” → “OK”

3.1.6 Enter password of the UPC-Token

Legend:

1. 1. Type password in →  Click on “Login”.

3.2 Step II – Signing Emails

3.2.1 Create a new email draft

Requirement: UPC token must be plugged in!

Write new E-Mail

Legend:

1. Click on “New Email”

3.2.2 Sign and send the email

Sign and send the email

Legend:

1. “Options” → Click on “Sign”.
2. Type in the receiver, subject and the message
3. Send your mail.

3.2.3 Enter password of the UPC-Token

Legend:

1. 1. Type password in →  Click on “Login”.

3.3 Step II – Encrypting Emails

3.3.1 Add a new contact to the address book

Note: If you want to send an encrypted message to the contact, they must be in your address book.

Open “People” and create a new contact

Legend:

1. 1. “People” → “New Contact”

Enter contact details and save

Legend:

1. 1. Type in Name 
   2. Type in E-Mail address 
   3. Click on “Save & Close”

3.3.2 Create a new email draft

Requirement: UPC token must be plugged in!

Write new E-Mail

Legend:

1. 1. Click on “New Email”

3.3.3 Encrypt and send email

Legend:

1. “Options” → “Encrypt”
2. Type in the receiver, subject and the message
3. Send your mail.

3.3.4 Enter password of the UPC-Token

Legend:

1. 1. Type password in →  Click on “Login”.

3.4 Step II – Signing and encrypting emails

Note: If you have not yet added the contact you want to send the encrypted message to in your address book, go to 3.3.1 Add new contact to address book

3.4.1 Create a new email draft

Requirement: UPC token must be plugged in!

Write new E-Mail

Legend:

1. Click on “New Email”.

3.4.2 Send signed and encrypted email

Legend:

1. “Options” → Click on “Sign” and “Encrypt” 
2. Enter recipient, subject and message if necessary.
3. Send e-mail.

3.4.3 Enter password of the UPC-Token

Legend:

1. 1. Type password in →  Click on “Login”.

You might be interested in that

Companies that cooperate with international energy suppliers on the European electricity and gas market need certificates for reliable identification for their traders and all employees involved in energy trading. GLOBALTRUST is listed with the relevant platforms and provides a suitable tool for the mandatory identity certificates.

The European Energy Market: JAO, OKTE and Consorts

The liberalisation of the energy markets since the end of the 1990s has not only led to energy customers being able to freely choose their local or supraregional suppliers. European energy exchanges and capacity platforms have also emerged, on and with which electricity and gas are traded and distributed across national borders. In our neighbouring countries, for example, these are the Hungarian RBP and FGSZ, the Slovenian ELES, the Czech CEPS or the Slovak DAMAS Energy, OKTE and the Dutch JAO.

Energy trading: Login only for verified traders and employees

The principle of supply and demand prevails on the international electricity and gas markets and the interaction between trading exchanges, settlement agencies and energy supply companies is strictly regulated: Strict professional and technical requirements apply to trading in energy products and access to the electronic trading exchanges is only open to authorised companies.

In addition, all traders and participants – from senior traders to back office contacts and commercial representatives – only have access to the trading systems if they can identify themselves beyond doubt. They need certificates for their reliable identification. For example, the auction rules of the electronic Capacity Auction Tool (eCAT) stipulate that authentication can only be done using a client certificate from a provider on the EU Trusted List.

GLOBALTRUST AUTHENTICATION: Certificates for the European energy market

Trust is good, verifiable trust is better – GLOBALTRUST AUTHENTICATION guarantees the effective identification of persons and prevents unauthorised logins, identity manipulation and Internet fraud.

GLOBALTRUST AUTHENTICATION is trusted by critical infrastructures and renowned energy trading platforms throughout Europe. Contact us if you as an energy service provider need to ensure the authentication of your employees. We will be happy to inform you in more detail about the system integration, the customised setting thanks to hardware and platform independence and the interesting conditions.

“Do we really need electronic signatures? What a waste!” It still sounds like this and similar in many companies when it comes to the topic of e-signatures. Does this sound familiar, or are the advantages of digital signatures already known in your company? Read here what the e-signature – or more precisely, the qualified e-signature – can also bring to your company. And in this context, learn more about our qualified cloud signature TRUST2GO®.

In the years of the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies came closer to the paperless office and digitized the sending and receiving of documents, including contract management. The only obstacle – and thus annoying media disruption – often remained the legally binding signature.
In times of home offices and lockdowns, the need to integrate also the signing in to the digital workflow increased. A process that was frequently put on the back burner out of fear of the effort involved. However, system integration is just as simple as the application itself: The effort is therefore manageable, the benefits far greater, and secure tools for this have long been available. The advantages are obvious:

Advantage 1: cost savings

Most companies ignore the costs that are associated with conventional signatures. This starts with the cost of paper, printing, and postage for transporting signed documents and ends with their storage or the space required for this and a security concept for archiving. – The costs of introducing digital signatures can pay for themselves within a very short time.

Advantage 2: time savings

Electronic signatures are workflow accelerators: If documents can be delivered digitally and immediately, employees save themselves the trouble of printing them out. Rescanning becomes redundant, days of postal mailing are eliminated, and the cycle time for business processes is significantly shorter.

Advantage 3: workflow optimization

Electronic documents can be distributed more easily and processed more effectively. Contracts signed with e-signatures do not have to be physically on hand to be legally valid – a major advantage for companies operating internationally or with multiple locations.

Advantage 5: complete digital transformation

You may know it yourself: Digitization is already well advanced, but the legally valid e-signature as the last important building block for streamlining business and contract processes is missing. Digital document management only works with e-signatures!

Advantage 5: legal certainty

A qualified electronic signature uniquely links the signer to the signature and secures the document against subsequent changes. Our e-signature solution TRUST2GO® meets the strict requirements of the EU eIDAS Regulation. It is therefore not only absolutely legally secure throughout the EU, but also meets the highest compliance requirements: The signature on sensitive files and documents has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature and remains protected in your hand at all times.

TRUST2GO® makes electronic signing so natural and easy that your employees won’t want to work any other way. We will be happy to advise you in more detail about your individual options. Contact us now for a free consultation.

It is impossible to imagine an efficient digital workflow without electronic signatures. With TRUST2GO®, we offer you a so called “qualified” electronic signature as a digital alternative that completely replaces your handwritten signature in technical, organizational and legal terms. But what exactly is an electronic signature, and what is a “qualified” e-signature? In accordance with the EU eIDAS Regulation, a basic distinction is made between three levels of digital signature: the simple, the advanced and the qualified e-signature.

In simplified terms, trustworthy digital signatures involve data being identified by a forgery-proof electronic feature – the signature in the cryptographic sense. This makes it possible to trace who the data records come from and whether they have been changed during the digital transaction. Any attempt to change even one point or modify hidden text in the document will invalidate the electronic signature. But the question of “by whom”, “with what technology”, “with what means” and “under what guidelines” the signature or the signature tool were created depends on whether the signature in case of doubt is a useless scribble, or just a legally tenable evidence.

As a rule, we speak of the “quality classes” simple, advanced and qualified. The “qualified” e-signature is particularly trustworthy. The EU eIDAS Regulation define its requirements and effects.

The “simple” electronic signature

Simple electronic signature stands for signature services with low trustworthiness and evidential value that are not at advanced or qualified level. The simple e-signature is not regulated by law and can be generated without special verification and authentication steps. It is therefore easy to forge and is, for example, merely the graphic image of a handwritten signature.

The advanced electronic signature

In contrast, the eIDAS clearly regulates the advanced e-signature. The identity of the signatory must be verified by a body approved for this purpose, the so-called Trust Service Provider (TSP). Only uniquely identified persons are provided with the corresponding signature tools. Standardized and approved methods are used to unambiguously prove the identity of the signatory – for example, video identification with subsequent activation by cell phone. Furthermore – and this is a decisive difference to the simple signature – it must be created with tools that the signer can keep under his control. These are, for example, password-secured crypto files or special hardware. Simple signatures, on the other hand, can simply be copied by anyone, so they are worthless in the event of a dispute.

The qualified e-signature

The qualified electronic signature is the highest signature level and is considered the most secure level of a digital signature. It is subject to all the requirements of the advanced signature plus some additional criteria and can only be issued by a qualified entity approved by the national regulator. These qualified TSPs are regularly audited to ensure that their solutions comply with European regulations. In addition to personal identification, the use of specific hardware is also required, making the compromise of signature data extremely unlikely.

Recipients of signed documents can be sure that a qualified certificate is issued to a natural person whose identity matches that stated on the certificate. Contracts signed with a qualified e-signature are as legally valid as those signed by hand, according to the eIDAS specifications.

Selection criteria in the search for the right signature solution

Of course, all three signature levels are legally permissible. They must be selected depending on the application and the relevance of the documents to be signed – we will be happy to advise you!

One thing is certain: where legal requirements for written form (wet ink signatures) apply, a qualified signature only meets the formal requirement. Also, numerous constellations are known in which declarations can only be submitted with a qualified signature and the written form – in the sense of a paper based handwritten signature – is no longer accepted.

Where declarations can also be made informally, as is the case externally for quotations, invoices and delivery bills, for example, the advantages of an advanced signature may outweigh the disadvantages (full automation – no need for hardware and 2-factor authentication).

Other considerations for selecting the right signature instrument that we have often encountered in our consulting practice to date:

• Qualified signature for transactions above a certain value threshold, below advanced.
• Qualified signature for external declarations, internally only advanced signature.
• Qualified signature for persons registered in the commercial register.
• Qualified signature for foreign transactions, otherwise advanced signature.

Electronic signature – digital signature, E-signature – digital signing

Honestly: Did you already stop thinking at the headline? Not entirely without reason, these terms are usually used synonymously.

While e-signature and digital signing are undefined terms of a rather promotional nature, electronic and digital signature mean two different approaches. Strictly speaking, the two concepts must be distinguished -not all electronic signatures are necessarily digital signatures.

“Electronic signature” is a legal term defined in the eIDAS Regulation as follows: “[..]data in electronic form which is attached to or logically associated with other data in electronic form and which is used by the signatory to sign;.” (Art 3 eIDAS Regulation)

A digital signature, on the other hand, refers to a mathematical and cryptographic process used (not only, but also) to produce electronic signatures. The definition in ETSI TR 119 100 reads:
“Data appended to, or a cryptographic transformation of, a data unit that allows a recipient of the data unit to prove the source and integrity of the data unit”.
Unit to prove the source and integrity of the data unit and protect against forgery e.g. by the recipient”.

Whether advanced or qualified: With TRUST2GO® you can easily digitize your contract management. The integration into existing backend systems (SAP, Microsoft, Oracle, …) is just as easy as the application with our free software TRUST2GO® Client.

Do you remember when the computer made its way into your company or government agency? Is it too long ago? It doesn’t matter, but one thing is certain: with it, correspondence and document management were gradually digitized. Except for one tiny, but all the more important details: the signature is often the point at which efficient workflows get bogged down. Do you still sign by hand? Then we have something for you: digital signing with TRUST2GO®, our qualified cloud signature in accordance with the EU eIDAS Regulation.

Digital signature: Bye-bye wet ink

Why do we sign a document? So that it is (legally) valid and can be attributed to the signatory without any doubt; we sign to confirm our will, for evidentiary purposes and for traceability. Some legal signature requirements are intended to protect the signatory from hasty agreements.

With a qualified electronic signature, additional electronic data is attached to an electronic document that

• identifies the signer and
• establish the integrity of the signed document.
• Have the same effect throughout the EU as a handwritten signature (Art 25 para 3 eIDAS).

An electronic signature goes far beyond a scanned handwritten signature: it is forgery-proof, serves as authentication, and simplifies and accelerates business processes.

E-signature: Bye-bye media break

You know this: everything has been completed on the computer, only the signature is missing. The procedure that follows is the same everywhere: the document is printed out, signed, scanned, uploaded and forwarded. At the recipient’s end, the same thing starts all over again. This costs time and money.

Efficiency is different. With TRUST2GO® you can handle all signature processes electronically: on documents of all kinds – contracts, forms, quotes, invoices, etc.

Qualified electronic signature: Hello legal certainty

TRUST2GO® is legally equivalent to a handwritten signature – throughout the EU. You sign either using the SMS-TAN procedure or via a smartphone app using PIN entry, fingerprint or facial recognition. Qualified seals – the electronic equivalent of the company stamp – can even be fully automated.

Convenient and legally binding: Your individual TRUST2GO® solution

• TRUST2GO® PILOT: the qualified employee signature
• TRUST2GO® POOL: qualified signatures for all employees – with a common signature pool
• TRUST2GO® SEAL: a qualified company seal that is not tied to a specific person
• TRUST2GO® PSD2: the qualified company seal for payment service providers

You want to optimize workflows, reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction: As a qualified Austrian trust service provider, we can advise you on which TRUST2GO® solution best meets your requirements. Feel free to contact us.

The qualified electronic signature is the perfect complement for your electronic business and legal transactions. Our e-signature solution, TRUST2GO® not only simplifies your workflow, but also meets the highest compliance requirements. Sensitive documents, official data, patient files, bank, or insurance data remain protected and in your hands at all times. Of course, our qualified cloud signature complies with the strict requirements of the EU eIDAS regulation and is therefore absolutely legally secure.

Qualified signatures: We’re serious about your security

Digital processes ideally cause little administrative effort and save time. However, when it comes to electronic signatures, it’s not just the user experience that counts, but also and above all the security aspect.

If you want to implement a qualified e-signature in your company or authority, you cannot take any risks – you need a solution that meets all legal requirements – including those of your AML (anti-money laundering) and KYC (know your costumer) concepts. Here you go: With our e-signature solution TRUST2GO® you are on the legally secure side.

Among other things, the reliability of our Europe-wide established procedures is ensured by the initial identification to prevent identity theft as well as our 2-factor authentication system via fingerprint or Face-ID. In addition, the HSM components required to protect your data and identities are FIPS/NIST certified – which is equivalent to the most modern security requirements for encryption. Nothing leaves the country – your individual signature keys remain stored in an Austrian, high-security data center.

e-Signatures: Our USP – your compliance management

What distinguishes our solution from those of other providers: the forgery-proof, encrypted hash value generated locally on your premises when signing. The hash value and PDF are securely linked, and your confidential documents cannot be viewed from the outside – not even by us – absolute confidentiality is guaranteed.

We do not charge extra for this. On the contrary: With TRUST2GO® you benefit from incredibly low costs per signature and attractive reseller and distributor prices. We will be happy to inform you in more detail!

Just a few reasons for relying on TRUST2GO®….

Binding, confidential and reputable: You will receive exclusively signature certificates for business use, which we configure individually for you within the framework of the legal and technical possibilities – based on the applicable European signature law. This means that each of your qualified e-signatures has the same legal validity as a handwritten signature.

As a qualified trust service provider, we will be happy to advise you on which signature solution best meets your compliance requirements. Please feel free to contact us.

For Trust Service Providers supporting advanced electronic signatures, there has been a certain gap between EU-eIDAS compliance and different software/OS behaviour when it comes to validating digital PDF signatures. Error-free advanced signatures were not always completely recognized as such! A gap that GLOBALTRUST can close as the only Trust Service Provider in Austria. As of now, we are listed at the software giant Adobe as a member of the AATL (Adobe Approved Trusted List). This means for you that our digital signature certificates are among the most trusted worldwide and that you can securely sign your documents with Adobe. Also, advanced PDF signatures created with a GLOBALTRUST product can now be validated via Adobe regardless of the operating system.

Instantly valid advanced PDF signatures: This is what many have been waiting for!

Not only in Austria do we have an absolutely unique selling point as a Trust Service Provider by joining the AATL – there are not many providers in the rest of Europe that are listed by Adobe. This makes our digital signatures interesting for a wide range of customers – for companies as well as for the e-government sector. We are well-prepared to respond to your inquiries.

Electronic signatures: A good investment for companies and government agencies!

Basically, electronic signatures are a valuable investment for any organization, because they …

• Eliminate cost-intensive media discontinuities
• Enable secure data exchange between companies
• Fulfil legal and compliance requirements, and
• Initiate far-reaching process automation.

In short, electronic signatures help minimize error rates, reduce throughput times and increase efficiency. For case studies, click here.

Adobe and advanced signatures

Adobe was the only U.S. vendor that had already recognized eIDAS compliance in its Acrobat and Reader products and validated qualified signatures (QES) after checking the European Trust List (EUTL). While users of eIDAS-qualified signatures therefore did not have to worry about correct signature validation, a certain gap remained for advanced signatures, for example in the huge area of e-billing and e-government.

Ever since, it was possible to verify advanced signatures using the Microsoft trust list, which is integrated in Adobe products. However, this did not always work reliably recently due to individual user constellations and led to the popular PDF software behaving in contradiction to legal compliance and confusing recipients with an alleged invalidity of the signature!

“Uncertainty among user has often led to further request. Manual checks with tools such as those provided by the Republic of Austria or the EU Commission did little to improve the situation. This has led to some reluctance to use advanced signatures, even though they offer significant advantages over qualified signatures: They can be fully automated and are thus suitable for the highest signature throughput. Many users are also unaware that advanced signatures are just as legally secure as qualified signatures in the vast majority of everyday business situations.”

Dr. Hans G. Zeger, managing director, e-commerce monitoring GmbH (GLOBALTRUST)

Advanced instead of qualified PDF signatures

Advanced PDF signatures created with a GLOBALTRUST product can now be validated via Adobe regardless of the operating system. This closes a gap between legislation and software/OS behaviour. And: Qualified signatures no longer have to be used unless they are mandatory.

AATL-compliant signatures require enhanced security measures

The signature key must be managed on a password-protected hardware signature creation device that is certified to at least FIPS-140-2 Level 2. This requirement calls for two-factor authentication (2FA), which is proof of a user’s identity using a combination of two different, independent factors – which provides additional security, because the certificate’s private signature key cannot be exported from the hardware, preventing various key compromise scenarios.

Key security? Check!

In addition to tried-and-tested solutions such as USB tokens and smart cards, HSM systems – whether in-house or cloud-based – are of course supported. Using appropriately certified Key Management Systems (KMS) such as Azure Key Vault, AWS KMS or Google Cloud KMS is also possible. We are happy to find the right solution together.

If you are interested in our digital signature solutions, we would be happy to advise you in more detail during a personal meeting.

Once again, GLOBALTRUST stepped into the pioneering role amongst Austria’s Trust Service Providers: We are now the first TSP to join the Adobe Approved Trusted List (AATL), a program that allows users to create digital signatures that are considered trusted as soon as the signed document is opened in Adobe Acrobat or Reader. A milestone that will optimize the diverse range of PDF signatures and accelerate digital transformation for all industries.

GLOBALTRUST is a member of the Adobe Approved Trust List (AATL)

… and we are proud of it! We applied to Adobe and fulfilled all security and technical requirements – now we are listed as the only Austrian trust service provider among the biggest players of trust services in the world.

For GLOBALTRUST customers, this means: The origin of their digitally signed documents can be traced back to a certificate on the AATL. Anytime if a signed PDF is opened in the Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader software, it is automatically classified as trustworthy and valid. Recipients are neither bothered by misleading messages, nor is there a need for manually changing any trust settings.

Electronic signatures: software validates – relying on parties trust

Any software that works with signed data must decide which signature provider it trusts, i.e., which signatures it displays as valid and marks with the “green checkmark”. To do this, trust lists are queried – usually invisible to the user and automated in the background – which contain signature service providers that meet strict security criteria: for example, an annual assessment by an independent body, specific accreditations and compliance with technical and contractual requirements.

Doubts about a digital signature thus do not arise in the first place, and both the queries from recipients and the effort required for support are reduced. A pleasant side effect: Costs go down, trust goes up.

Are you interested in signature solutions from GLOBALTRUST? Please feel free to arrange a meeting with one of our experts.