Storage of signature-creation data

The reliability of an electronic signature depends heavily on the way in which its private key is stored. If the private key is stored in a secure signature-creation device (e.g., a signature chip card) in accordance with the requirements of secure electronic signatures and can never be removed from that device, the electronic signature generated with the key will generally be trusted more than if the private key is stored on the hard drive of a PC that is acessible to multiple users.

The following entries are possible here:

• lesbarer Datenträger (readable data medium, e. g. floppy disc, harddisc, memory-chipcard)
• nicht lesbarer Datenträger (non-readable data medium, e. g. a processor-chipcard, which is not evaluated as a secure signature-creation device) or
• sichere Signaturerstellungseinheit (secure signature-creation device)