Quiz Entry - updated: 2026.07.14
What four properties should a (digital) signature provide?
Forgery-protection (integrity), authenticity, non-repudiation, and being a deliberate declaration of intent.
| Property (DE) | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Fälschungssicherheit | After signing, the document can't be altered undetectably (integrity) |
| Authentizität | The signature can be unambiguously tied to a specific signer |
| Unleugbarkeit | The signer can't later deny having signed it (non-repudiation) |
| Willenserklärend | The signature can only have been applied deliberately (a declaration of will) |
These mirror the legal qualities we expect of a handwritten signature — a digital signature aims to provide the same guarantees cryptographically.
Tip: Integrity + authenticity + non-repudiation is the "holy trinity" of signatures; the willful-intent property is what makes it legally meaningful, not just technically valid.