Careful with Digital Signatures

Currently, Vietnam’s tax and customs sectors are widely applying information technology to simplify administrative procedures and facilitate business operations. Therefore, using digital signatures is no longer a new concept for businesses, as well as import and export officials and tax accountants, because of deep application of electronic customs and tax declarations. Before urgent necessity for digital signatures and a great number of digital signature service providers, what is the best choice for users? Is the digital signature quality of all providers the same? What should be given priority, price or promotion?

 

Basic features of digital signature are the form of electronic signature. The information is encrypted by the sender's private key and enclosed documents to ensure identification, source authentication and integrity of data when it is received. The digital signature is construed as an electronic seal of individuals, businesses and organisations, and has equal legal validity as a handwritten signature in non-electronic transactions. So, because of this particularly important role, as recommended by the customs services, enterprises must respect the safety and security of digital signatures when they choose digital signatures for electronic trading in general. Specially, in public services like electronic customs or electronic tax, users necessarily pay attention to the ‘standard’ of digital signatures, as prescribed by customs authorities and tax authorities, to ensure accurate, correct and valid declaration. Standard digital signature is the digital signature provided by suppliers certified by the Ministry of Information and Communications. Currently, eight companies are certified by the ministry to provide digital signatures for enterprises and five companies are certified meeting standard of e-customs declaration software by the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

 

Now, users also need to take notice of the integration of digital signatures in electronic customs declaration, a new definition emerged when VNACCS/VCIS electronic clearance system is applied in accordance with the Decision No. 2341/QD-BTC dated September 18, 2013 on the issue of a roadmap for using public digital signatures in electronic customs procedures. Accordingly, users need to install the USB Token security device of digital signatures and register digital signatures online with customs authorities and set up digital signatures in electronics customs declaration software. Businesses can use a single digital signature for electronic transactions, electronic tax and electronic customs declarations. The list of suppliers of standard digital signatures is published on the website address of the General Department of Vietnam Customs, www.customs.gov.vn. They also need to pay attention to the list of standard software vendors certified by the general department on this website.

 

The digital signature market is multi-faceted. Suppliers with highest efficiency, standard and absolute security are the best choice for businesses and users.