Library guides
Subject: MultidisciplinaryE-government
E-government, also known as electronic government, e-gov, Internet government, digital government, online government or connected government, is a new alternative for interaction between citizens (natural persons) and businesses (legal persons) and the state, regional and local administrations and town councils, among others. It is based on the use of the information and communication technologies (ICT) to design, develop and implement digital tools and environments enabling communication and administrative procedures between citizens and businesses with the administrations and is supported and motivated by constant organizational and legal changes.
Electronic signature and electronic certificate
The electronic signature is a system of electronic identification based on a digital signature stored on a software support. It has a legal validity equal to that of a handwritten signature. It is important to differentiate between electronic signature and digital signature, which is the ciphered mechanism that gives authenticity to the attached digital information. For its part, the electronic or digital certificate is the computer file generated by a certification agency that links identity data to a natural or legal person and confirms his/her digital identity.
What is the electronic signature?
Some tools to define and understand what the electronic signature is.
The electronic signature on Wikipedia in English. It features its definition, examples, information on the electronic certificate, and so on.
Section on the website of the Ministry of Governance, Public Administrations and Housing setting out two solutions of digital identification for citizens, businesses and organizations to electronically relate with the administration.
Section on the electronic signature of the Portal de Administración Electrónica (PAe). It features information on the electronic signature and its formats, the electronic ID, the different electronic certificates, and so on.
Section on the website of Consorci AOC with information on the legal framework of the electronic signature. With general and administrative regulations.
Article analysing the obligations imposed by Law 59/2003 on the electronic signature. Obligations to be met by the providers of certification services as well as the specifications to be fulfilled by the different recognized certificates, with special emphasis on those obligations related to the digital identity of the signature’s user.
Lanzarot, A. [Ana]. (2007). Los certificados electrónicos en la Ley 59/2003, de 19 de Diciembre. En especial, los certificados de personas jurídicas (y II). Revista de Derecho UNED, (2), 39-76. https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/los-certificados-electrónicos-en-la-ley-59-2003/docview/1115585614/se-2?accountid=15299
Book dealing with the electronic signature from the legal point of view, with a review of electronic signature initiatives, the European Directive on the subject, comments on the different components of an electronic signature, and so on.
Mason, S. [Stephen]. (2012). Electronic signatures in law. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511998058
Journal available on the vLex database with articles, legal reviews and case reports related to the management of digital evidence and electronic signatures.
Blog of Consorci AOC, with information on digital signatures and certificates, their legal validity, the new products and trends, and so on.
Certification agencies
Agencies in charge of issuing the digital certificates used in the electronic signature. These agencies must guarantee the principles of authenticity, integrity, confidentiality and non-repudiation of digital information.
Autonomous body under the aegis of the Consorci de l'Administració Oberta de Catalunya (Consorci AOC) to ensure that the process of the electronic signature development is carried out in accordance with the legal framework established and in the most efficient way possible.
Public certification agency, led by the Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre - Real Casa de la Moneda (FNMT-RCM). It aims to provide authentication and ensure the confidentiality of communications between citizens, businesses and other public institutions. This agency offers several certificates recognized by most public administrations.
Digital certificates
The electronic or digital certificate is the computer file generated by the certification agency that links identity data to a natural or legal person and confirms his/her identity. Digital certificates operate with signing and ciphering processes, known as public-key cryptography, and are based on the use of the public-key, present in the certificate, and the private-key, linked to it but which is not contained in the certificate.
The electronic services of the Government of Catalonia require identification through digital certificates or with the idCAT SMS. This section provides more information on these two mechanisms.
Information web portal on the electronic ID. This document enables users to electronically and reliably prove the identity of an individual and digitally sign electronic documents. It has the same validity as a handwritten signature.
Article reflecting on the use of public-key certificates and suggesting a new concept of generalized digital certificate (GDC), a certificate without public- and private-key, arguing that it would be easier to manage.
Harn, L. [Lein] and Ren, J. [Jian]. (2011). Generalized Digital Certificate for User Authentication and Key Establishment for Secure Communications. IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, 10(7), 2372-2379. https://doi.org/10.1109/TWC.2011.042211.101913
Article dealing with the problem of the management of digital certificates while exploring the possibility of a structure of correlated certificates. It also examines a new concept of anonymous digital certificates.
Zhu, W. [Wen-Tao] and Lin, J. [Jingqiang]. (2016). Generating correlated digital certificates: framework and applications. IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security, 11(6), 1117-1127. https://doi.org/10.1109/TIFS.2016.2516818
Security
The spread of e-government is linked to the trust that the communication through electronic means with the administration generates among citizens. For this reason, the security of the shared data is paramount.
Consorci AOC, through the CESICAT, provides services to local public administrations so that they improve the security of their information systems and apply measures, both organizational and technical, to achieve this goal.
Section on security on the Portal de Administración Electrónica (PAe). It features information on the National Security Scheme (ENS), information security policies, methods, instruments and regulations, and so on.
Royal Decree 3/2010 regulating the National Security Scheme, the objective of which is to establish a security policy regarding the use of electronic means and is constituted by the basic principles and minimum requirements which allow the adequate protection of information.
Royal Decree regulating the National Security Scheme in the field of e-government, the objective of which is to create trusted electronic environments to facilitate the use of new technologies in the public administration.
Librarians responsible for this library guide
Elisabet Cervera
Operative subgroup: Librarian for Law and Political Science, Doctoral School Operative group: Library for Learning
