If you are not using third-party digital ID, you can create your own self-signing digital ID. Many environments provide facilities to create digital ID, including Windows Certificate Manager, CertUtil and open source solution openssl. Here we explain how to create digital ID in Adobe Reader.
A digital ID file stores two pieces of information: an encrypted private key for signing and decrypting documents, and a public key containing a standard X509 certificate, which is used for validating signatures and encrypting documents. When creating digital ID files, we recommend that you stick with standard formats:
PKCS#12 Digital ID File. Often the file has extension .pfx or .p12. It contains both private key and certificate. It is a binary file.
Public Certificate File. Often the file has extension of .cer or x509. This file contains your public key and other information. The certificate file can be exported from Digital ID file.
Follow the steps below to generate a Digital ID file:
Select → .
Select on the left, and then click button.
Specifiy A new digital ID I want to create now and click .
Choose New PKCS#12 Digital ID File to store it in a pfx file.
Type a name, email address, and other personal information for your digital ID. When you certify or sign a document, the name appears in the Signatures panel and in the signature field.
(Optional) To use Unicode values for extended characters, select Enable Unicode Support, and then specify Unicode values in the appropriate boxes.
Choose an option from the Key Algorithm menu. 2048-bit RSA offers more security than 1024-bit RSA, but 1024-bit RSA is more universally compatible.
From the Use Digital ID For menu, choose whether you want to use the digital ID for signatures, data encryption, or both. Click .
Specify a filename and location for the digital ID file.
Type a password; passwords are case-sensitive, must contain at least six characters, and may not contain double quotation marks or the following characters: ! @ # $ % ^ & * , | \ ; < > _. Type the same password in both the Password and Confirm Password boxes. Click .
Export or send your certificate file to those who need to encrypt documents and sent to you.
Warning
Backup a copy of your digital ID file. If your digital ID file is lost or corrupted, or if you forget your password, you cannot use that profile to open public key encrypted PDF documents.