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Re: [E-CARM] PKI, CAs, TTPs &c.



On Fri, 27 Mar 1998, Bob Jueneman wrote:

>
>Most handwritten signatures aren't even legible, and might as well 
>be a "chop". That's why most documents require you to print or type 
>your name, in addition to signing. So a handwritten signature is only very loosely
>bound to the signer's identity.

A point often forgotten. 

Further, it's more like a one-way hash, in which IF you know the
person's identity AND the signature THEN you may have some reliance
on the assumption that the signature was done by someone with THAT
identity. However, if you don't kwnow the person's identity then it's
not even "very loosely bound" to that identity...it's just a
self-declaration and as such without trust.

>
>As to whether the handwritten signature is bound to the signer's persona,
>that is a metter that can only be judged by a so-called "expert" in handwriting
>analysis. yedt there is some reason to believe that these experts may 
>do no better job distinguishing between a forgery and a genuine signature than 
>the ordinary lay person.
>

And, since the ordinary lay person is not required by law to get an
expert's opinion on a (handwritten) signature before relying on it .. 
then it is not even relevant sometimes that the forgery was only "so
good" and not "perfect".

Cheers,

Ed

______________________________________________________________________
Dr.rer.nat. E. Gerck                     egerck@novaware.cps.softex.br
http://novaware.cps.softex.br
    --- Meta-Certificate Group member, http://www.mcg.org.br ---