Adding Digital Signature in Word Documents

PKI Tutorials - Herong's Tutorial Examples - Version 2.10, by Dr. Herong Yang

PKI Tutorials - Herong's Tutorial Examples

∟Adding Digital Signature in Word Documents

This section provides a tutorial example on how to add a digital signature in Microsoft Word Documents using a personal certificate created by Comodo.

After comparing prices, John decides to get a free digital ID (or personal certificate) from Comodo as described in earlier tutorials in ths book.

After installing the digital ID in his Windows computer, John continues to add a digital signature to a word document.

1. Open the Word document.

2. Click "File > Info > Protect Document > Add a Digital Signature" menu. John sees the "Sign" screen.

3. Enter information as suggested below:

Commitment Type: Created and approved this docuemnt
Purpose of signing this document: Testing digital signature
Sign as: Issued by COMODO RSA Client Authentication and Secure

4. Click "Sign". John sees the "Request for Permission to Use a Key" screen.

5. Select "Grant permission", enter the password that associated with the Comodo personal certificate, and click "OK".

Now the document shows 2 warnings:

Signed Document - This document has been signed and marked as final.
Protected Document - This document has been marked as final to discourage editing.

Cool. John successfully signed his document with a personal certificate created from Comodo. Anyone receives this document should be able to verify this document in two ways:

No body has altered this document, because signature can be validated.
The signature is from John, because John's certificate is attached and can be validated with Comodo's root CA certificate.