With a new legislation the Finnish government is aiming to make the electronic signature just as binding as the handwritten one. The bill defines a valid, high-quality electronic signature. It also defines the means by which such validity is certified in both public and private sector transactions. The new legislation is expected to increase the popularity of electronic signatures and to promote business in the field.

The Finnish government decided on the content of new legislation on electronic signatures at the end of October. The government bill defines what constitutes a valid, high-quality electronic signature and also the means by which such validity is certified in both public and private sector transactions. The legislation is expected to increase the popularity of electronic signatures and to promote business in the field.

A legally valid electronic signature verifies the identity of the person signing a document and that the document has not been altered while in transmission. Its security is ensured by means of a standardised quality certificate provided by a third party to whom this task has been entrusted. Such a certificate secures the identities of the communicating parties, the authenticity of the message and the confidentiality of the information.

The quality certificate of a standardised electronic signature contains relevant information on the certifier, how long the certificate will remain valid and possible limitations to its use. The new legislature also places demands on the companies or associations offering such certificate services: their personnel must be competent and they must have enough financial resources to ensure that the certification system remains secure.

There are several technical solutions available for making electronic signatures. For example, they can be saved in the form of an intelligent card (e.g. a personal ID card), in the SIM card of a mobile phone or in a computer. The Finnish companies offering quality certificates and electronic signature solutions include Certall Finland, F-Secure, Novotrust, Sonera Smart Trust and SSH Communications Security.

In 1999 Finland's Population Register Centre was the first in the world to issue an electronic ID card equipped with an e-code for the certification of one's identity.

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>> www.certall.com
>> www.f-secure.com
>> www.sonera.com
>> www.ssh.com
>> www.vaestorekisterikeskus.fi