A new approach to constructing digital signature schemes: (Short paper)

Abstract

A new hash-based, server-supported digital signature scheme was proposed recently in [7]. We decompose the concept into forward-resistant tags and a generic cryptographic time-stamping service. Based on the decomposition, we propose more tag constructions which allow efficient digital signature schemes with interesting properties to be built. In particular, the new schemes are more suitable for use in personal signing devices, such as smart cards, which are used infrequently. We define the forward-resistant tags formally and prove that (1) the discussed constructs are indeed tags and (2) combining such tags with time-stamping services gives us signature schemes.