Virtual CSP
Remote Signing From Windows Desktop applications
Ascertia’s Virtual CSP (Cryptographic Service Provider) is a lightweight plug-in for the Microsoft Windows operating systems which allows documents, emails and other data formats to be signed remotely (i.e. server-based signatures).
Virtual CSP removes the need for deploying smart cards or USB Tokens to end-users. The user’s signing keys and certificates are instead managed centrally within the ADSS Server. The user can remotely sign documents from any Microsoft Windows based application without changing that application’s native user experience.
Virtual CSP therefore helps reduce costs and ensures a more user-friendly approach to signing documents from Windows applications.
FEATURES & BENEFITS
Sign documents within your business applications
Users can sign any document or file directly within their Windows-based desktop applications without the need to upload to a hosted service. In addition, the application file format is retained after the signing process. This means no automatic conversion to PDF or other formats. Virtual CSP works with Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, Outlook and also third-party applications such as Adobe Acrobat Professional or custom desktop apps.
Manage your remote certificates
Virtual CSP is a plugin for the Microsoft Windows operating system. It hooks into the Windows CNG layer and is responsible for requesting remote signatures on behalf of the user.
Signing keys protection
The access to the user’s remote signing key is protected through our Signature Activation Protocol (SAP) which ensures strong user authentication and authorisation. This is two factor based approach using the Ascertia Go>Sign Mobile app which is available for iOS and Android.
Authentication options
Virtual CSP supports following authentication options to perform signing:
No authentication (immediate signing)
Password authentication
2-factor authentication and authorisation using the Ascertia Go>Sign Mobile app
Multilingual
The user interface is multilingual and currently available languages are:
English
Arabic
French
Portuguese
Additional languages can be added easily upon request.
Rebranding
Virtual CSP can be white-labelled. Contact us for more details.
Availability
Virtual CSP does not have a separate user interface (UI) for signing as it adopts the UI of the native applications.
Common use cases for Virtual CSP include these:
Remote signing from Microsoft Word
Remote signing from Microsoft Excel
Remote signing from Microsoft PowerPoint
Remote signing from Microsoft Outlook
Remote signing from PDF Sign&Seal
Remote signing from Acrobat Writer
Remote signing from Acrobat Reader
Availability
Virtual CSP does not have a separate user interface (UI) for signing as it adopts the UI of the native applications.
Common use cases for Virtual CSP include these
Remote signing from Microsoft Word
Remote signing from Microsoft Excel
Remote signing from Microsoft PowerPoint
Remote signing from Microsoft Outlook
Remote signing from PDF Sign&Seal
Remote signing from Acrobat Writer
Remote signing from Acrobat Reader
PREREQUISITES
Ascertia supports two approaches to remote signing:
Remote signing in software mode
Remote signing using the ADSS Server Signature Activation Module (SAM)