XAdES is a set of extensions to XML-DSig

XML Signature

XML Signature defines an XML syntax for digital signatures and is defined in the W3C recommendation . Functionally, it has much in common with PKCS#7 but is more extensible and geared towards signing XML documents...

 recommendation

W3C recommendation

A W3C Recommendation is the final stage of a ratification process of the World Wide Web Consortium working group concerning a technical standard. This designation signifies that a document has been subjected to a public and W3C-member organization's review. It aims to standardise the Web technology...

 making it suitable for advanced electronic signature.

Description

While XML-DSig

XML Signature

XML Signature defines an XML syntax for digital signatures and is defined in the W3C recommendation . Functionally, it has much in common with PKCS#7 but is more extensible and geared towards signing XML documents...

 is a general framework for digitally signing documents, XAdES specifies precise profiles of XML-DSig

XML Signature

XML Signature defines an XML syntax for digital signatures and is defined in the W3C recommendation . Functionally, it has much in common with PKCS#7 but is more extensible and geared towards signing XML documents...

 for use with advanced electronic signature in the meaning of European Union Directive 1999/93/EC. One important benefit from XAdES is that electronically signed documents can remain valid for long periods, even if underlying cryptographic algorithms are broken.

Profiles

XAdES defines six profiles (forms) differing in protection level offered. Each profile includes and extends the previous one:

• XAdES, basic form just satisfying Directive legal requirements for advanced signature;
• XAdES-T (timestamp), adding timestamp field to protect against repudiation;
• XAdES-C (complete), adding references to verification data (certificates and revocation lists) to the signed documents to allow off-line verification and verification in future (but does not store the actual data);
• XAdES-X (extended), adding timestamps on the references introduced by XAdES-C to protect against possible compromise of certificates in chain in future;
• XAdES-X-L (extended long-term), adding actual certificates and revocation lists to the signed document to allow verification in future even if their original source is not available;
• XAdES-A (archival), adding possibility for periodical timestamping (e.g. each year) of the archived document to prevent compromise caused by weakening signature during long-time storage period.

See also

• European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)
  European Telecommunications Standards Institute
  The European Telecommunications Standards Institute is an independent, non-profit, standardization organization in the telecommunications industry in Europe, with worldwide projection...
  
  
• XML Signature
  XML Signature
  XML Signature defines an XML syntax for digital signatures and is defined in the W3C recommendation . Functionally, it has much in common with PKCS#7 but is more extensible and geared towards signing XML documents...
  
  
• CAdES
  CAdES (computing)
  CAdES is a set of extensions to Cryptographic Message Syntax signed data making it suitable for advanced electronic signature.-Description:...
  
  , CMS Advanced Electronic Signature
• PAdES
  PAdES
  For the Romanian commune, see Padeş.PAdES is a set of restrictions and extensions to PDF and ISO 32000-1 making it suitable for advanced electronic signature...
  
  , PDF Advanced Electronic Signature
• Trusted timestamping
  Trusted timestamping
  Trusted timestamping is the process of securelykeeping track of the creation and modification time of a document. Securityhere means that no one — not even the owner of the document — should be able to change it once it has been recorded provided that the timestamper's integrity is never...
  
  

External links

• W3C XAdES version 1.1.1 from 2003
• ETSI TS 101 903 XAdES version 1.1.1 from 2002-02-12
• ETSI TS 101 903 XAdES version 1.2.2 from 2004-04-02
• ETSI TS 101 903 XAdES version 1.3.2 from 2006-03-07
• ETSI TS 101 903 XAdES version 1.4.1 from 2009-06-15
• ETSI TS 101 903 V1.2.2 Technical Specification, XSD and DTD
• ETSI TS 101 903 V1.3.2 XSD and DTD
• ETSI TS 101 903 V1.4.1 XSD