Public/private signature key pair

Definition

In a public/private signature key pair

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[t]he private key of the key pair is used by one party to digitally sign a message/data, while the corresponding public key is used to verify the signature. Examples of the usage of a signature key pair are signed Secure/Multipart Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) messages, signed electronic documents, and signed code. In some implementations, a key pair may be used for both authentication and signature functions. A signature key pair is generally used in a network environment and is generally used for long-term use (e.g., up to 3 years). It may also be used to generate and verify signatures on stored data.

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