Digital signatures go to the heart of German government

NEWS The German federal government has taken a step closer to making digital signatures legally binding by introducing an electronic signing procedure for civil servants. Staff at the government's ministries and agencies will be able to replace handwritten signatures with an electronic one. Employees will be issued with a chip card carrying an encrypted key and a reader to authorise the signature. Initially, around 100 of the 400 government services, including procurement, will require digital signatures. The aim is to phase out handwritten signatures by 2005, the German cabinet said in a statement. However, the move calls for a more rigid adherence to online security standards. The German cabinet said it will work to implement the ISIS (Industry Signature Interoperability Specifications) and MTT (MailTrusT) standards. Last year, Germany introduced legislation to make electronic signatures legally binding.