A digital signature is an electronic equivalent of a person’s physical signature. It is like an electronic fingerprint that is unique to each signer. As explained by the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, a digital signature is an advanced mathematical technique routinely used to validate the authenticity and integrity of a message (e.g., an email, a credit card transaction, or a digital document). It prevents the copying and tampering of digital communications. For a deeper understanding of digital signatures, see Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency’s article on digital signatures here.
[Last updated in July of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]