What is the difference between digital signature and digital certificate?

Question

I saw the definitions posted on mastermind2389's question posted a week ago. I'd also say what he said in the end. i know the definitions, what are the differences?
from what i understand from the definitions, i think digital signature is an application of digital certificate. is that it?

Answer 1

Maybe this can help you understand what digital signature is

http://www.youdzone.com/signature.html





A digital certificate is an electronic "credit card" that establishes your credentials when doing business or other transactions on the Web. It is issued by a certification authority (CA). It contains your name, a serial number, expiration dates, a copy of the certificate holder's public key (used for encrypting messages and digital signatures), and the digital signature of the certificate-issuing authority so that a recipient can verify that the certificate is real. Some digital certificates conform to a standard, X.509. Digital certificates can be kept in registries so that authenticating users can look up other users' public keys.

http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid14_gci211947,00.html

Answer 2

A digital signature is a mechanism that is used to verify that a particular digital document or a message is authentic (i.e. it is used to verify that the information is not tampered) whereas digital certificates are typically used in websites to increase their trustworthiness to its users. When digital certificates are used, the assurance is mainly dependent on the assurance provided by the CA. But it is possible that the content of such a certified site could be tampered by a hacker. With digital signatures, the receiver can verify that the information is not modified.



Read more: http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-digital-signature-and-vs-digital-certificate/#ixzz37jWXjB1i

Answer 3

Digital Signatures often used to implement electronic signatures, a broader term that refers to any electronic data that carries the intent of a signature, but not all electronic signatures use digital signatures. In some countries, including the United States, India, and members of the European Union electronic signatures have legal significance.