The new regulations mean that a digital signature has the same legal force as an ink-based one.

ECONOMIST: The measure of man | The

Built in 2005, it is filled to the brim with the latest gadgets, ranging from a TV gallery that records all sorts of meetings and briefings to the president's digital signature device.

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This means no one can hijack your digital signature en route and use the record of the way you sign your name to impersonate you.

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The patches come hot on the heels of the shocking news that the sophisticated "Flame" malware, which was found targeting computers in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, used a forged Microsoft digital signature to pass itself off as a Windows update.

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Proponents of biometrics argue that only by protecting digital signatures with biometrics (so that a signature is released only if the owner's finger is presented, for example) can people be sure who they are dealing with online.

ECONOMIST: The measure of man | The