Patent ID: 7398396

Claim:
A method for applying an electronic signature from a client station, comprising the steps of: /A/ authenticating the client station at a server, thereby establishing an authenticated communication channel between the client station and said server; /B/ generating a private key/public key pair at the client station; /C/ sending from the client station to the server, via the authenticated channel, a request for a signature certificate, generated by means of at least the public key, said request providing to the server information pertaining to at least the public key and excluding the private key; /D/ sending from the server to the client station, via the authenticated channel, a signature certificate provided in response to said request; /E/ calculating a cryptographic signature at the client station by means of the private key, then destroying the private key at the client station; and /F/ formatting the calculated signature with the aid of the signature certificate received by the client station via the authenticated channel.