How To Create Digital Signature In Excel 2007

Add or remove a digital signature in Office files

Applies To:

Excel 2016
Word 2016
PowerPoint 2016
Excel 2013
Word 2013
PowerPoint 2013
Excel 2010
Word 2010
PowerPoint 2010
Excel 2007
Word 2007
PowerPoint 2007
Office 2010
Word Starter 2010

This article explains digital signatures (also known as digital ID), what they can be used for, and how you can use digital signatures in the following Microsoft Office programs: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

In this article:

Add digital signatures in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint
Remove digital signatures from Word, Excel, or PowerPoint
What is a digital signature?
Signature lines in Word and Excel
Digital signatures in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint

Add digital signatures in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint

To protect the authenticity of a document's content, you can add an invisible digital signature.
Signed documents have the Signatures button at the bottom of the document.

User-added image

Click the File tab.
Click Info.
Click Protect Document, Protect Workbook or Protect Presentation.
Click Add a Digital Signature.
Read the Word, Excel, or PowerPoint message, and then click OK.
In the Sign dialog box, in the Purpose for signing this document box, type the purpose.
Click Sign.

After a file is digitally signed, the Signatures button appears, and the file becomes read-only to prevent modifications.

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Remove digital signatures from Word, Excel, or PowerPoint

Open the document, worksheet, or presentation that contains the invisible signature you want to remove.
Click the File tab.
Click Info.
Click View Signatures.
The document, worksheet, or presentation view returns, and the Signatures pane appears.
Next to the signature name, click the arrow.
Click Remove Signature.
Click Yes.

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What is a digital signature?

A digital signature is an electronic, encrypted, stamp of authentication on digital information such as e-mail messages, macros, or electronic documents. A signature confirms that the information originated from the signer and has not been altered.

Signing certificate and certificate authority

Signing certificate To create a digital signature, you have to have a signing certificate, which proves identity. When you send a digitally-signed macro or document, you also send your certificate and public key. Certificates are issued by a certification authority, and like a driver's license, can be revoked. A certificate is usually valid for a year, after which, the signer must renew, or get a new, a signing certificate to establish identity.

Certificate authority (CA) A certificate authority is an entity similar to a notary public. It issues digital certificates, signs certificates to verify their validity and tracks which certificates have been revoked or have expired.

Digital signature assurances

Authenticity The signer is confirmed as the signer.
Integrity The content has not been changed or tampered with since it was digitally signed.
Non-repudiation Proves to all parties the origin of the signed content. Repudiation refers to the act of a signer denying any association with the signed content.
Notarization Signatures in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files, which are time stamped by a secure time-stamp server, under certain circumstances, have the validity of a notarization.

To make these assurances, the content creator must digitally sign the content by using a signature that satisfies the following criteria:

The digital signature is valid.
The certificate associated with the digital signature is current (not expired).
The signing person or organization, known as the publisher, is trusted.

Important: Signed documents, which have a valid time stamp, are considered to have valid signatures, regardless of the age, or revocation status, of the signing certificate.

The certificate associated with the digital signature is issued to the signing publisher by a reputable certificate authority (CA).

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Signature lines in Word and Excel

A signature line resembles a typical signature placeholder that might appear in a printed document. However, it works differently. When a signature line is inserted into an Office file, the author can specify information about the intended signer, and instructions for the signer. When an electronic copy of the file is sent to the intended signer, this person sees the signature line and a notification that their signature is requested. The signer can:

Type a signature.
Select a signature digital image.
Write a signature by using the inking feature of the Tablet PC.

When the signer adds a visible representation of a signature to the document, a digital signature is added at the same time to authenticate the signer's identity.

User-added image

Important: A digitally-signed document becomes read-only to prevent modifications.

Reducing risk with digital signatures

Using signature lines in Office files makes it possible for organizations to reduce risk when you use electronic transactions and to streamline paper processes for contracts or other agreements. Digital signatures provide a record of exactly what was signed and can be verified in the future.

When the signer adds a visible signature to the document, a digital signature is added at the same time to authenticate identity. After a document is digitally signed, it becomes read-only to prevent modifications.

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Digital signatures in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint

An invisible digital signature, such as a visible digital signature line, assures the authenticity, integrity, and origin of a document. You can add invisible digital signatures to Word documents, Excel workbooks, and PowerPoint presentations.

Signed documents will have the Signatures button at the bottom of the document. In addition, for signed documents, signature information appears in the Info section that you see after you click the File tab.