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Authentication

The Challenge

For almost 150 years, the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) has been the official disseminator of Government documents and has assured users of their authenticity.

In the 21st century, the increasing use of electronic documents poses special challenges in verifying authenticity, because digital technology makes such documents easy to alter or copy, leading to multiple non-identical versions that can be used in unauthorized or illegitimate ways.

GPO’s Charge

To help meet the challenge of the digital age, GPO has begun implementing digital signatures to certain electronic documents on GPO Access that not only establish GPO as the trusted information disseminator, but also provide the assurance that an electronic document has not been altered since GPO disseminated it.

The visible digital signatures on online PDF documents serve the same purpose as handwritten signatures or traditional wax seals on printed documents. A digital signature, viewed through the GPO Seal of Authenticity, verifies document integrity and authenticity on GPO online Federal documents, at no cost to the customer.

How Does it Work?

GPO uses a digital certificate to apply digital signatures to PDF documents. In order for users to validate the certificate that was used by GPO to apply a digital signature to document, a chain of certificates or a certification path between the certificate and an established point of trust must be established, and every certificate within that path must be checked.

• Users must be connected to the Internet in order to have the ability to validate a digital signature on a PDF document. If a user is not connected to the Internet, the Certification Question Mark icon will display. Please see the Validation Icons section on the Authentication Help Page for more information.
• Adobe Acrobat or Reader
• Validation is seamless in Adobe Acrobat or Reader in versions 7.0 or higher.
• GPO has created presentations to demonstrate the validation process in version 9.0, version 8.0 or in version 7.0.
• Version 8.0 or higher is recommended. Users of earlier versions are encouraged to upgrade to the current version.
• Authentication FAQ Page

Software Requirements for Validating Digital Signatures

• Adobe Acrobat or Reader 8.0 or 7.0

GPO Document Authentication Workshop - June, 18, 2010

• Workshop Transcript
• Workshop Presentation

GPO Authentication Initiative Documentation

• Final Authentication White Paper (October 13, 2005)
• Draft Authentication White Paper (June 23, 2005)
• Authentication Briefing Paper (Spring 2005 DLC Meeting)

For Further Reading

• Introduction to Public Key Technology and Federal PKI Infrastructure (National Institute for Standards and Technology, 2001)
• Electronic Authentication Guideline Recommendations of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (National Institute for Standards and Technology, 2006)
• Status of Federal Public Key Infrastructure Activities at Major Federal Departments and Agencies (General Accounting Office, 2003)
• Public Key Infrastructures - PKI Research

A service of the U.S. Government Printing Office.

Last updated: August 25, 2010
Page Name: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/authentication/index.html