Private key generation from on‐line handwritten signatures

Abstract

n recent years, public key infrastructure (PKI) has emerged as co‐existent with the increasing demand for digital security. A digital signature is created using existing public key cryptography technology. This technology will permit commercial transactions to be carried out across insecure networks without fear of tampering or forgery. The relative strength of digital signatures relies on the access control over the individual’s private key. The private key storage, which is usually password‐protected, has long been a weak link in the security chain. In this paper, we describe a novel and feasible system – BioPKI cryptosystem – that dynamically generates private keys from users’ on‐line handwritten signatures. The BioPKI cryptosystem eliminates the need of private key storage. The system is secure, reliable, convenient and non‐invasive. In addition, it ensures non‐repudiation to be addressed on the maker of the transaction instead of the computer where the transaction occurs.