Adobe Acrobat - Digital IDs

Overview

A digital ID is like an electronic driver’s license or passport that proves your identity. A digital ID usually contains your name and email address, the name of the organization that issued it, a serial number, and an expiration date. Digital IDs are used for certificate security and digital signatures.

Digital IDs contain two keys: the public key locks, or encrypts data; the private key unlocks, or decrypts that data. When you sign PDFs, you use the private key to apply your digital signature. The public key is in a certificate that you distribute to others. For example, you can send the certificate to those who want to validate your signature or identity. Store your digital ID in a safe place, because it contains your private key that others can use to decrypt your information.

Self-Signed Digital ID

To sign a document with a certificate-based signature, you must obtain a digital ID or create a self-signed digital ID in Acrobat or Adobe Reader:

• Create a self-signed digital ID: https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/digital-ids.html#create_a_self_signed_digital_id
• Adobe Acrobat - How to Use a Digital ID (link)
• Adobe Acrobat - How to Trust Self-Signed Digital Signatures (link)