Document signing system for mobile devices
Disclosed are various approaches for signing documents using mobile devices. A request is sent to a certificate authority for a signing certificate. The signing certificate is then received from the certificate authority. The signing certificate is then stored in the memory. Next, a file is received from a client application executed by the processor of the computing device. Then, the file is signed with the signing certificate to create a signed file. The signed file is then returned to the client application.
1. A system, comprising:
a computing device comprising a processor and a memory;
machine-readable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to at least:
send a request for a digital certificate to a certificate authority;
in response to the request, receive the digital certificate from the certificate authority;
store the digital certificate in a data store accessible by the computing device;
receive a client request for the digital certificate from a client application that is being executed by the processor of the computing device and is opening a file that is to be electronically signed by a user of the computing device, from the data store;
in response to the client request, request the client application for an authentication credential of the user;
in response to receiving the authentication credential from the client application, perform verification of the authentication credential;
upon the verification of the authentication credential being successful, retrieve the digital certificate from the data store; and
provide the retrieved digital certificate to the client application and cause the client application to generate an electronically signed file based at least in part on the digital certificate and a graphical or digital signature representative of a signature of the user of the computing device.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the request is sent in response to an installation of the client application on the computing device.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the request is sent in response to determining that the digital certificate is absent from the data store.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the request is sent in response to determining that a previous digital certificate has expired.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the machine-readable instructions further cause the computing device to at least:
cause the client application to cryptographically sign the file using the provided digital certificate;
cause the client application to insert the graphical or digital signature into the file; and
cause the client application to insert additional information capable of verifying the graphical or digital signature into the file.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the machine-readable instructions further cause the computing device to cause the client application to at least convert the file from a first file type into a second file type, and the electronically signed file is generated by the client application in response to converting the file from the first file type into the second file type.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed by the processor causes implementation of a credential application that is independent from the client application, and the implementation of the credential application comprises sending of the request to the certificate authority, reception of the digital certificate from the certificate authority, storage of the digital certificate in the data store, reception of the client request, request for the authentication credential, performance of the verification of the authentication credential, retrieval of the digital certificate, and provision of the retrieved digital certificate.
8. A method of generating an electronically signed file at a computing device, comprising:
sending a request for a digital certificate from the computing device to a certificate authority;
in response to the request, receiving the digital certificate at the computing device from the certificate authority;
storing by the computing device the digital certificate in a data store accessible by the computing device;
receiving a client request for the digital certificate from a client application that is being executed in the computing device and is opening a file that is to be electronically signed by a user of the computing device, from the data store;
in response to the client request, requesting the client application for an authentication credential of the user;
in response to receiving the authentication credential from the client application, performing verification of the authentication credential;
upon the verification of the authentication credential being successful, retrieving the digital certificate from the data store; and
providing the retrieved digital certificate from the credential application to the client application and generating by the client application an electronically signed file based at least in part on the digital certificate and a graphical or digital signature representative of a signature of the user of the computing device.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the request is sent in response to an installation of the client application on the computing device.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the request is sent in response to determining that the digital certificate is absent from the data store.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the request is sent in response to determining that a previous digital certificate has expired.
12. The method of claim 8 , wherein generating by the client application the electronically signed file based at least in part on the digital certificate and the graphical or digital signature further comprises, by the client application:
cryptographically signing the file using the digital certificate;
inserting the graphical or digital signature into the file; and
inserting additional information capable of verifying the graphical or digital signature into the file.
13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising converting by the client application the file from a first file type into a second file type, and the electronically signed file is generated by the client application in response to converting the file from the first file type into the second file type.
14. The method of claim 8 , wherein said sending a request, said receiving the digital certificate, said storing the digital certificate, said receiving the client request, said requesting the client application for an authentication credential, said performing verification of the authentication credential, said retrieving the digital certificate, and said providing the retrieved digital certificate are performed by a credential application that is executed in the computing device, independent from the client application.
15. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising machine comprising machine-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to at least:
send a request for a digital certificate to a certificate authority;
in response to the request, receive the digital certificate from the certificate authority;
store the digital certificate in a data store accessible by the computing device;
receive a client request for the digital certificate from a client application that is being executed by the processor of the computing device and is opening a file that is to be electronically signed by a user of the computing device, from the data store;
in response to the client request, request the client application for an authentication credential of the user;
in response to receiving the authentication credential from the client application, perform verification of the authentication credential;
upon the verification of the authentication credential being successful, retrieve the digital certificate from the data store; and
provide the retrieved digital certificate to the client application, and cause the client application to generate an electronically signed file based at least in part on the digital certificate and a graphical or digital signature representative of a signature of the user of the computing device.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the request is sent in response to at least one of: an installation of the client application on the computing device, or determining that the digital certificate is absent from the data store, or determining that a previous digital certificate has expired.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the machine-readable instructions further cause the computing device to at least:
cause the client application to cryptographically sign the file using the digital certificate;
cause the client application to insert the graphical or digital signature into the file; and
cause the client application to insert additional information capable of verifying the graphical or digital signature into the file.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the machine-readable instructions further cause the computing device to cause the client application to at least convert the file from a first file type into a second file type.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the graphical or digital signed file is generated by the client application in response to converting the file from the first file type into the second file type.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed by the processor causes implementation of a credential application that is independent from the client application, and the implementation of the credential application comprises sending of the request to the certificate authority, reception of the digital certificate from the certificate authority, storage of the digital certificate in the data store, reception of the client request, request for the authentication credential, performance of the verification of the authentication credential, retrieval of the digital certificate, and provision of the retrieved digital certificate.