[20010119]RS20344_电子签名：技术发展和立法问题.pdf

Congressional Research Service ? The Library of CongressCRS Report for CongressReceived through the CRS WebOrder Code RS20344Updated January 19, 2001Electronic Signatures: TechnologyDevelopments and Legislative IssuesRichard M. NunnoAnalyst in Information TechnologiesResources, Science, and Industry DivisionSummaryElectronic signatures, a means of verifying the identity of the user of a computersystem to control access or authorize a transaction, are increasingly being used inelectronic commerce. Several technologies can be used to produce electronic signatures,the most prominent being digital signatures, which use cryptographic techniques toprovide data integrity and nonrepudiation. Legislation enacted in the 106th Congressenables the legal recognition of electronic signatures in interstate commerce. Otherlegislation introduced but not enacted was intended to promote federal agency use ofelectronic signatures to enable electronic filing of information. Definitions and Technologies Used for Electronic Signatures. Electronicsignatures are methods used to provide electronic authentication, a process of verifyingthe identity of users of a computer (either a stand-alone mainframe or a