Nevada plans use of digital security

Monday, Nov. 23, 1998 | 11:50 a.m.

Anderson is helping prepare Nevada for the day when computerized signatures will let businesses and consumers authenticate their identity by digital code, rather than a handwritten signature.

Already pioneers in the technology are using carefully guarded computers to store and authenticate the secret elements of these digital signatures.

In Utah, Anderson visited a utility building that houses a computer storing digital signatures. He passed through a maze of corridors and locked doors before reaching the computer that held the digital signatures.

"I felt like I was stepping onto a 'Mission Impossible' movie set," Anderson said.

Digital signatures allow government and business officials to routinely sign documents electronically.

The sender and receiver of the document must use the digital keys to decode the message and complete the signature. Digitally signed documents are also encrypted, or scrambled, for greater security.

Then, they can be sent to the next office or around the world electronically by e-mail.

Digital signatures could not only improve operational efficiency but also reduce the massive files of paper documents maintained by governments, organizations and businesses.

Nevada, Washington, Utah and Minnesota have adopted standards for use of digital signatures for documents, such as bids for services and products.

Based on Nevada's 1997 law, Secretary of State Dean Heller is proposing regulations that would serve as a blueprint for these agencies' digital signature system.