How to obtain an electronic signature for an individual online

EDS - what is it?

Many bureaucratic procedures for a legal entity can take a lot of time, for example, communicating with the tax office. Therefore, companies were the first to embrace all the possibilities of online communication with various authorities, providing all documentation and reporting in file form. But how can we confirm that these documents have legal significance? Usually, for this, the head of the department/accounting/entire company manually signs the papers. When this became too difficult, they came up with an electronic signature. It allows:

• protect data when sent over the Internet;
• confirm the authenticity of the document;
• give it legal force.

What does the digital signature look like? This is a short cipher - alphabetic, digital, symbolic. When encrypting, completely different characters in different quantities can be used, so it is not possible to say in advance. It is usually sent by email. An access key is also obtained.

EP has its own expiration date, usually 1 year. This limitation is due to the fact that fraudulent transactions are often allowed and hacking attempts occur - not always successful, but still. Then you should buy a new one or extend the term of the previous cipher, but get a new key and certificate - this is provided in a single form and is stored exclusively with the head of the department, the head of the company, or with a specific individual owner, if we are talking about digital signature for home use.

The service is a paid service, and the cost may vary depending on what features are included in the package. But a standard, minimum contract will cost an individual an average of 700 rubles. Sometimes you can get it for free, in cases where the simplest option is enough (we'll talk more about the types a little later). Why do individuals obtain an electronic signature?

• sign documents while at home, at work, while traveling – wherever there is Internet access;
• use online services that are widely available throughout the civilized world, but in Russia are often not yet very developed;
• do not go to different authorities to sign using the classic method, that is, do not spend a lot of time communicating with people with whom you have no desire to communicate.

This service is sometimes called a seal because it provides similar legal certainty. The main content is digital, so storage occurs on a medium, most often on a USB flash drive, which entrepreneurs, like individuals, must carry with them. Inside there are files that contain:

• An identifying certificate is the code itself, a cipher that your opponents in electronic document management will see. In fact, this is the seal itself.
• Private and public keys - with their help, only you can make any changes to the document. This can be compared to writing your initials in pen under each page of a contract so that you can't write additional terms later.

You can receive such a package on a flash drive only at certification centers accredited by the state. They do not give repeating meanings, only individual combinations for each applicant. If the code is lost or stolen, you must immediately contact the police, because until the application is submitted and the seal is temporarily frozen, all documents signed in this way will be considered valid, even if the fraudster has thus “signed over” your house or sold your car.

To summarize the first introductory section, let’s say that the presence of an electronic signature significantly simplifies document flow and expands the range of possible actions before a person.

The history of the emergence of electronic signatures for individuals

The pair of cipher and key has been used since time immemorial - this is how doves or messengers were sent, encryption was used by both military leaders and lovers who did not want to make their relationship public. But the nuance, which is also a significant disadvantage, is that you need to simultaneously transmit both the message and the decryption key. But already in the second half of the 20th century, this problem was solved by cryptographers Jiff and Hellman, who proposed messaging to determine a single key, or rather, there should be two of them - for encryption (it can be open) and for decryption, of course, private. This allows information to be transmitted in such a way that if intercepted, the veneer will not be able to understand anything without the second half of the riddle.

Over time, such encryption systems were actively used to preserve political and military confidential data. Then the same technique moved into the sphere of commercial relations, for example, it was adopted in order to maintain all banking transactions with each of its clients. With the development and improvement of electronic document management, technology passed into the hands of legal entities, and then individuals.

EDS - what is it and who needs it

This is a digital analogue of a person’s signature - an electronic key.
Monitoring the integrity of a document, protecting it from forgery and modification, as well as confirming authorship are all functions of a signature. A form signed with an electronic signature has the same legal force as a traditional paper version. Digital details are obtained using cryptographic transformation of information. Advantages of digital signature:

• fast delivery of documents;
• the ability to automate the processing of necessary files;
• reduction of preparation and dispatch costs.

The scope of application of EDS is quite extensive: applying to state and municipal authorities (for example, the State Services website contains a catalog of services), participating in online auctions and receiving other commercial orders, tax reporting, filing claims in court. An electronic digital signature is also used when signing applications and letters by agreement with counterparties. An electronic signature for legal entities greatly simplifies document management.

Types of electronic signature for individuals

Three types of EP can be used:

• Simple. We come across such codes very often - these are various SMS confirmations of payment transactions or consent to a public offer. You don't need to pay anything or configure anything to do this. The Qiwi wallet is linked to a phone number. To make a payment or make a transfer, a message with a 6-digit code is sent to your smartphone. After this, the transaction will be completed.
• Unskilled. Its registration is possible only upon presentation of passport data and a certain package of documents at a specialized company. Usually it is used to certify an application, petition, appeal, and also to use some government services. But its application is limited to certain limits.
• Qualified digital signature for an individual. This is a complete analogue of signing manually. Sometimes it can even replace printing. Has all legal rights, full significance, is taken into account in court and other government authorities.

comparison table

General information about electronic signatures

Traditional paper documents are certified using a personal signature and seal. Digital signature is a tool that allows you to certify electronic documents (which include not only text files, but also graphic images, archives, and so on). An electronic signature is a set of metadata that can be used to establish the authorship and signer of a file. Such tools have existed literally since the 2000s and were initially introduced into the Windows operating families. Later, many states developed their own authentication mechanisms using digital signatures. In the Russian Federation, a similar system is now also working; many authorities already support working with electronic documents (with integration into the FSIS system).

Currently, work with digital signatures is regulated by Federal Law 63, the last amendments to which were made in 2015 . There is also a list of those signatures that can be used to sign documents, after which they acquire legal force.

According to the law, the following variations of digital signature are recognized in the Russian Federation:

1. Simple. A simple login/password combination cannot be used for authorization on the websites of the State Services portal.
2. Reinforced. They are a set of metadata with crypto encryption. They are analogous to the signature/seal combination on ordinary paper documents.

Only reinforced ones are suitable for working with FSIS, which in turn are divided into:

• unskilled;
• qualified.

Ready-made solutions for all areas

Stores
Mobility, accuracy and speed of counting goods on the sales floor and in the warehouse will allow you not to lose days of sales during inventory and when receiving goods.

To learn more

Warehouses

Speed ​​up your warehouse employees' work with mobile automation. Eliminate errors in receiving, shipping, inventory and movement of goods forever.

To learn more

Marking

Mandatory labeling of goods is an opportunity for each organization to 100% exclude the acceptance of counterfeit goods into its warehouse and track the supply chain from the manufacturer.

To learn more

E-commerce

Speed, accuracy of acceptance and shipment of goods in the warehouse is the cornerstone in the E-commerce business. Start using modern, more efficient mobile tools.

To learn more

Institutions

Increase the accuracy of accounting for the organization’s property, the level of control over the safety and movement of each item. Mobile accounting will reduce the likelihood of theft and natural losses.

To learn more

Production

Increase the efficiency of your manufacturing enterprise by introducing mobile automation for inventory accounting.

To learn more

EGAIS

Eliminate errors in comparing and reading excise duty stamps for alcoholic beverages using mobile accounting tools.

To learn more

RFID

The first ready-made solution in Russia for tracking goods using RFID tags at each stage of the supply chain.

To learn more

Certification for partners

Obtaining certified Cleverence partner status will allow your company to reach a new level of problem solving at your clients’ enterprises.

To learn more

Inventory

Use modern mobile tools to carry out product inventory. Increase the speed and accuracy of your business process.

To learn more

Mobile automation

Use modern mobile tools to account for goods and fixed assets in your enterprise. Completely abandon accounting “on paper”.

Learn more Show all automation solutions

Creating an electronic signature yourself in Adobe Acrobate

You can create an electronic signature in a pdf document using Adobe Acrobat.

In Adobe Acrobat, select the Signing-Work with Certificates menu item and the required signature type.

After this, if when selecting the default method for creating an electronic signature, the “Ask when signing a document” option was specified, then a window will be provided for selecting a method for generating an electronic signature. In this case, you must select the “CryptoPro PDF” method. If the default method for creating electronic signatures was assigned in the settings, then the selection window will not be provided, and the specified method will be used automatically.

At the next step, you should select an area in the document to display the electronic signature. After which, the “Select a certificate” window that appears will display a list of certificates available in the standard Windows certificate store. For ease of use, the list of certificates can be sorted by each column by clicking on the corresponding name.

You can view the properties of the selected certificate by clicking on the “Show certificate” button.

Next, in the Sign Document window, you will be given the opportunity to fill in additional fields displayed in the properties of the electronic signature. To generate an electronic signature, click the Sign button.

The last step is to specify the file in the Save as window into which the signed copy of the document will be saved. An example of an ES created in a document is shown in the figure.

How to make a free or paid personal electronic digital signature for an individual

If you want to receive an unqualified electronic signature, that is, a confirmation code, then you can go through the entire procedure online. To do this, you must register on the State Services website. This way, you will have your own password, with which you can make the simplest payments, for example, car fines, and register with various government agencies. For example, a patient can get a voucher for an appointment with a doctor online.

But the list of services is significantly limited, so any valuable information that could in any way be used by scammers will not be provided to owners of a simple password. For more complex procedures, you will need to visit the control center, whose employees have the ability to issue the entire package with access codes and a certificate on a digital medium. Below we will tell you more about this opportunity.

Steps to obtain an electronic signature for individuals

The algorithm you need to go through:

• Select the type of digital signature. This should be done depending on the reasons for purchasing it - how often you will use it during the year, etc. This digital “stamp” is very important for individual entrepreneurs. In connection with the transition to electronic document management and the introduction of online cash registers, we recommend that all individual entrepreneurs purchase equipment and software for business from Cleverence.
• Decide on the organization. This must be a management center that has a license from the state with permission to operate.
• Fill out an application. Usually this can be done immediately on the company’s website without visiting the office.
• Make payment for the service provided.
• Collect a package of documents - a detailed list will be offered to you by the center staff.
• We go to the pick-up point and receive a digital media with several files. We remember that this information is strictly confidential and should always be with the owner.

Documents for obtaining digital signature for individuals

We provide the classic list. Please note that you should find out more accurate information directly at the place where you received the signature, as it may change or be updated. You will need to collect:

• Passport and its copy.
• Application for obtaining electronic signature.
• TIN - you can get it from the tax office for free.
• SNILS is a pension (green) card, which is issued from infancy.
• Receipt of payment - you can make it at any bank and even yourself through the terminal.

It's a small package so it can be assembled in one day.

Where to get digital signature for individuals, options

Here are three options with the ability to submit an application online, these are portals:

• Roseltorg.ru. Roseltorg can be called the largest Russian service providing such services. This is a single trading platform where many opportunities are presented. To receive an enhanced qualified electronic signature, it will take only 1 day, and the transfer can be carried out not through a flash drive, but through a cloud storage device.
• Iecp.ru/get-ep. This is a more highly specialized portal, which is accredited by the AETP, that is, by government agencies. The application can be sent from anywhere in Russia; an organization will be selected based on geography - where it will be closer to you to pick up the key.
• podpis-online.ru. Suitable if you need an unqualified simple signature. Using the site, you can get an individual sample in 2 minutes by entering only your last name and first name.

If you do not want to register online, you can contact the MFC, which is located in almost every locality of regional significance.

Cost of electronic signature for paid registration

The price depends entirely on which of the three types you want to purchase. As we noted above, there are free analogues. But if you want to use it regularly to sign documents, you will need a qualified code. Obtaining it can cost from 500 to 3000 rubles.

This cost is charged for one year of use, then you will need to pay the same amount for renewal.

Free option

You can go to the tax service resource, and after studying it, follow these steps:

• Complete registration. First, you should go to the premises of this authority at your place of registration. There you should show your passport so that the employees enter your personal data into the system.
• Log in to your personal account and select the creation of digital signature among the functions.
• Wait for the specified time and receive the key.

How to create a non-qualified electronic signature for an individual for free

A non-qualified digital signature is suitable for documents that would not require a seal in their paper form. These include:

• tax returns;
• other sections of accounting documentation;
• certain types of contracts.

Such a signature allows the certificate to be from a non-accredited certification center, where the digital signature can be created.

To resolve tax issues, it is possible to issue a separate (enhanced) non-qualified digital signature. How to create an electronic signature in a taxpayer’s personal account? You will need to do the following:

• Open the official website of the Federal Tax Service.
• Enter your login and password (if you don’t have them, you should get them from the tax service, or log in through the gosuslugi.ru portal).
• Find the “Profile” section, in which select “Obtain a key certificate...”.
• Submit a corresponding request.

By completing these steps, you will receive your enhanced non-qualified electronic signature key in just a few minutes.

Creating a simple electronic signature

Let's consider the option of using the State Services Portal. This is a very convenient platform where you can carry out a lot of operations using a simplified system - without leaving your home. The first stage of registration, simplified, which is called a simple electronic signature, can also be completed remotely; it will take a few minutes.

After logging in, click on “Personal Account”, two windows will appear for entering your login and password, which you do not have yet. Just below there will be a button for registration, it will be written: “Register for full access to services,” click.

Now fields will appear in which you need to enter the simplest personal data about you, this is your last name, first name and patronymic, mobile phone and email. If you wish, you can read the privacy policy and registration conditions. Then click “Register”.

A random code generator immediately gives you a unique number and letter combination. This value will be sent to your phone via SMS. This is a one-time password that must be entered in the resulting window. By this action you confirm your own intention to register further.

Now a questionnaire is displayed, which contains more detailed questions, including registration address, date of birth and all data from the passport and SNILS, INN.

You don't need to do anything else. The verification takes some time; the entered information is checked against what is in the general government databases. If you filled out everything correctly, you have already become the owner of a simple electronic signature. If you want to use all the features more fully, you need the second level - an unqualified complicated signature. To do this, contact the post office or the MFC with your passport and SNILS so that employees can confirm the compliance of the documents.

Benefits of creating a qualified electronic signature

What do qualified and unqualified digital signatures have in common?

• They make it possible to track changes in documents after signing.
• They have a certain level of security thanks to electronic keys.
• If any of these two types of signature is used, the document will be equivalent to a paper one.

Qualified digital signature is the most common and is actively used by both organizations and individual entrepreneurs. What are its advantages over other types - simple (PEP) and unqualified (NEP) electronic signature?

A qualified electronic signature (QES) cannot be called the most accessible, but ease of obtaining does not always determine comfort and reliability in use. The most accessible of all is a simple electronic signature, which works through a system of passwords, codes and other mechanisms to confirm the user’s identity. The login-password scheme is most often used; one-time passwords are used somewhat less frequently. PEP allows you to identify the person who signs the document, but does not make it possible to track subsequent changes in it.

The scope of activity of the PEP is also very limited - it can be useful when contacting government agencies, a private person or local government. However, when applying to government agencies, a document with such a signature will not be equal in strength to a paper one.

If you have a broader list of business activities, it is better to obtain a different type of digital signature, choosing between qualified and unqualified forms.

Both of these types of signatures work through cryptographic transformation of information and allow both to establish the identity of the signer and to control subsequent changes to the document. They are protected by two keys: a private one (the token is stored on a special device) and an open one, which is available to others to verify the signature.

What are the differences between qualified and unqualified digital signature? First of all, they have different procedures for obtaining a certificate. This is an important aspect that determines the functionality of the signature.

An unqualified digital signature can be created on the basis of certificates from non-accredited centers. Now there are technologies that do not imply a certificate at all - a signature obtained with their help will also be applicable (if all legal requirements are met). Non-qualified digital signature is suitable for many business relationships. The exception is situations when a regulatory act or preliminary agreement stipulates otherwise.

If you create a qualified digital signature, it will allow you to resolve issues of the maximum range of business relations, including government information systems or electronic platforms. A document with such a signature is equivalent to its paper counterpart.

A certificate for a qualified electronic signature is issued only by a certification center accredited by the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation. EDS cryptographic protection tools of this type (software and hardware, or token) are certified by the FSB of Russia.

A qualified digital signature, with its wide application possibilities, allows you to:

• establish the identity of the signatory;
• record and track changes in the document where such digital signature was affixed;
• provide maximum protection for the signature itself and the owner’s personal information.

What can EDS be used for?

We have talked in detail about how to obtain a signature, but not everyone understands whether an ordinary citizen needs it? Yes, it is necessary if you want to significantly simplify document flow with any government agencies, as well as use all services via the Internet without visiting any organizations. With it you can:

• Send official statements, requests, for example, to obtain a certificate.
• Pay state fees with a 30% discount.
• Pay for traffic police fines and other fees.

What is an electronic signature

An electronic signature is obtained as a result of a mathematical transformation of a data set. This approach completely eliminates all options for forging a signature by unauthorized persons. The digital signature provides that each user has his own key, which is used for the signature itself, and the corresponding public key, intended for verification. The digital signature is calculated using the sender's secret key and the file's information bits.

EDS not only confirms the authenticity of the document, but also makes it possible to verify that the document has not been changed after signing. The real time of its signing is written on the document.

Electronic signature key

Certificate

is a document that associates verification data with a specific person, confirms his identity and is certified by a service provider - a certification authority. Where can I get such an “autograph”? It is provided by the Accredited Certification Center (ACCC) under the fiscal service. Legal entities can only obtain a key from the ACCC within the region where they are registered. This restriction does not apply to individuals and individual entrepreneurs.

Public key

The keys are used to encrypt and decrypt the message. The text “sealed” by the public key can only be “revealed” by the private key. The first is published in the owner's certificate. It can be accessed by the connected client.

Private key

This key is stored by the owner of the certificate. Both keys are mathematically dependent. It is impossible to pick them up during the validity period of the certificate. Therefore, the maximum validity period of a high-level SSL is always lower, and an EV certificate can be ordered for a maximum of 2 years.

How to get a simple digital signature to work with a website

Registered users who are authorized on the site can receive a simple digital signature. The registration of the CP is carried out through the MFC; it contains encrypted information about the login and password for the account on State Services.

In the future, the details will be required to send applications for various online services. If a citizen has not confirmed his identity on the portal, he will not be able to log into the “Personal Account”. In this case, the CPU will be the key that opens access to the account.

During the registration process you will be required to provide the following information:

• Name;
• registration and residence address;
• passport data;
• TIN;
• SNILS.

During the registration process you will need to provide SNILS information.

After My Documents employees verify the specified information, a simple signature will be created.

Concept of electronic signature

According to the law, an electronic signature was introduced to confirm the authenticity of an electronic document. For example, if a person cannot sign papers manually, he can use his electronic signature, which was officially received by him.

An electronic signature is a set of digital characters that confirms the value and immutable content of a document.

The use of an electronic signature is becoming an integral standard, since recently all document flow takes place not only on paper, but also in digital form. Individuals or legal entities do not need to personally visit various departments to sign a document; it is enough to send their digital signature as a sign of confirmation.

EDS helps protect papers from counterfeiting; it is formed through cryptographic information protection and identifies the owner using a signature key certificate.

You can obtain an electronic digital signature in several ways: through the State Services portal, or independently when visiting the relevant centers. For individuals, you can issue a simple, unqualified and qualified digital signature.

What is digital signature

The shift of document flow to the network has given rise to new problems, among which one of the most important is the possibility of easy forgery of ordinary signatures and stamps if they are present not on paper, but on a digital one.

To exclude this possibility, an electronic digital signature was developed - a securely encrypted digital code containing data about the owner of the digital signature. This tool allows you to guarantee that the signed document will not contain any changes after it has been protected with an electronic signature. In Russia, digital signatures can be issued to individuals and legal entities. Let's look at the benefits of this innovation:

• for legal entities – simplification of document flow;
• reduction for companies of the time spent on submitting reports to higher and regulatory authorities;
• the opportunity to participate in tenders, including government tenders;
• can be used in the Arbitration Court;
• individuals receive full access to the State Services portal (without an electronic digital signature, their capabilities will be limited).

When forming a digital signature, complex and reliable cryptographic methods are used that prevent data hacking.

On the document, the electronic signature will look like a certain sequence of characters corresponding to the key specified in the digital signature certificate. There is also an option with a graphic image in the form of a stamp, which bears the signature of the holder of the digital certificate. It is preferable to use an electronic signature that is visually invisible, but can be identified and recognized by the appropriate software.