Questions
Yes, the Electronic Transactions Ordinance (Cap 553), was first enacted in January 2000 and last updated in January 2024. The Ordinance is available for viewing at https://www.digitalpolicy.gov.hk/en/our_work/digital_infrastructure/legal_framework/regulation/eto/index.html.
A digital certificate, once generated, cannot be changed. If you have changed any information on the certificate such as your name or your e-mail address, you must apply for a new certificate. You should also revoke your existing certificate.
A Certification Authority (CA) is a trusted organisation that issues independently authenticated digital certificates for use by individuals or organisations. Its role is to bind a public key to an identity (a person, organization, or server) so others can trust that key.
A digital certificate is a data file that acts as an online “passport” to verify the identity of a person, organisation, or server. It binds a cryptographic key to an identity, enabling secure, encrypted communication (like HTTPS) and ensuring data integrity.
A digital signature is a cryptographic mechanism that proves a message was created by a specific sender and hasn’t been altered. It is a unique string of bits that is separately generated for each message, ‘signed’ by the private key of the sender, and appended to the message prior to being forwarded to the intended recipient. By verifying the signature through using the public key of the sender, the receiver will be able to confirm the identity of the sender and be certain that the message has not been altered during transmission. In this way, digital signatures provide:
- Authentication: proof of identity of the parties to an electronic transaction;
- Integrity: assurance that the contents of a message have not been tampered with or modified;
- Non-repudiation: proof of agreement to the terms of the transaction and prevention of denial of commitment.