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LeoGlossary: Canonical Signatures (Hive)

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All Signatures on Hive are Canonical Signatures, since 0.20.2.

Canonical signatures are a type of digital signature that are designed to be resistant to malleability. This means that they cannot be easily altered without invalidating the signature.

Canonical signatures are created by first converting the data to be signed into a canonical form. This is a process of normalizing the data in a way that ensures that it is always represented in the same way, regardless of how it is formatted or encoded.

Once the data has been converted to a canonical form, it is then signed using a standard digital signature algorithm. The resulting signature is then attached to the data.

To verify a canonical signature, the recipient simply needs to convert the data to a canonical form and then verify the signature using the same digital signature algorithm that was used to create the signature.

Canonical signatures are used in a variety of applications, including:

  • Software updates: Canonical signatures can be used to verify the authenticity and integrity of software updates.
  • Code signing: Canonical signatures can be used to sign code, such as executables and scripts. This helps to ensure that the code has not been tampered with.
  • Document signing: Canonical signatures can be used to sign documents, such as PDF files and contracts. This helps to ensure that the documents have not been altered.

Canonical signatures are a valuable tool for protecting data and ensuring the authenticity of digital objects.

Here are some of the benefits of using canonical signatures:

  • Resistance to malleability: Canonical signatures are resistant to malleability, meaning that they cannot be easily altered without invalidating the signature. This is important for applications where the integrity of the data is critical, such as software updates and code signing.
  • Efficiency: Canonical signatures are efficient to verify. This is because the signature is only verified over the canonical form of the data, which is typically much smaller than the original data.
  • Flexibility: Canonical signatures can be used with a variety of digital signature algorithms. This makes them a flexible solution for a wide range of applications.

Overall, canonical signatures are a valuable tool for protecting data and ensuring the authenticity of digital objects. They are resistant to malleability, efficient to verify, and flexible to use.

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