Patent ID: 8375216
Filing Date: 2013-02-12
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. An apparatus, comprising: a first verification unit configured to verify a first signature added to an electronic document to produce a first verification result; a second verification unit configured to verify, after verification of the first signature by the first verification unit, a second signature added to the electronic document before the first signature to produce a second verification result, wherein (i) if the first verification unit determines that the electronic document has been edited but not been tampered after addition of the first signature, the second verification unit does not execute a process of determining whether the electronic document has been edited after addition of the second signature but executes a process of determining whether the electronic document has been tampered after addition of the second signature, (ii) if the first verification unit determines that the electronic document has not been edited and has not been tampered after addition of the first signature, the second verification unit executes a process of determining whether the electronic document has been edited after addition of the second signature and determining whether the electronic document has been tampered after addition of the second signature, (iii) if the first verification unit determines that the electronic document has been tampered after addition of the first signature, the second verification unit does not execute a process of determining whether the electronic document has been edited after addition of the second signature and does not execute a process of determining whether the electronic document has been tampered after addition of the second signature; a verification integrating unit configured to decide a verification result of the electronic document by using the first verification result and the second verification result; and a central processing unit configured to control at least one of the first verification unit, the second verification unit, and the verification integrating unit.