A digital signature service generates digital signatures for documents independent
of the program used to transmit the documents. The digital signature service may
operate as a Web server application, or as a client application on a user's computer.
The digital signature service imports a certificate specific to a user. To digitally
sign a document, the user identifies a document, and the digital signature service
generates a single signature file that includes the user's certificate, the document,
and the digital signature. With the signature file, the user may now store and/or
transmit the file using any program while maintaining the integrity and authenticity
capabilities associated with digital signatures. The digital signature service
also permits multiple digital signatories to a single document. A secure document
repository, implemented on a Web Site, is also disclosed.