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Campus and AdministrationDigital Signatures

A qualified electronic signature is a digital version of a legally valid signature on paper

Digital signatures are needed for various procedures, for example, in areas of human resources or procurement planning. A digital signature (also: digital ID) enables the signatory to confirm their identity (= authentication) in a digital document, such as a PDF file. Moreover, the signature can be used to confirm that the content of a PDF file has not been changed after the signature was applied (= integrity).

Hand signing a digital document

To create a digital signature, you first need a certificate from a third-party provider. For the University of Heidelberg, the DFN-Verein (German Research Network) serves as a third-party provider for employees. DFN-Verein issues certificates in the DFN-PKI (Public Key Infrastructure), which can be used to generate electronic signatures in accordance with Regulation (EU) No. 910/2014 (eIDAS, electronic IDentification, Authentication and trust Services).

You can find more information and steps for requesting a certificate in the how-to linked below.