How to Add a Digital Signature to OpenOffice and LibreOffice Documents?

When you digitally sign a document, you can be sure that it is authentic, intact, and non-repudiable. When you sign a file with a trusted certificate, the recipient can verify that the document has not changed and it truly comes from you.

OpenOffice and LibreOffice can digitally sign documents using certificates from a hardware token or USB key. This guide outlines how to add a digital signature to these documents securely and then view your certificate details.

Prerequisites

When you proceed with the digital signing process, it is crucial to have the appropriate device and credentials in place. In doing so, you ensure that your signature will be compliant, trusted, and will not be introduced with mistakes.

A Trusted Document Signing Certificate

To enable the ability to digitally sign a document in OpenOffice or LibreOffice, you will need a valid document signing certificate issued by an AATL-approved Certificate Authority (CA). Some examples of recognized AATL-approved CAs are DigiCert® and GlobalSign®.

An AATL approval indicates that your digital signature will be considered legitimate by a majority of document platforms and PDF viewers.

By obtaining a certified document signing certificate, your identity as the sender of the document will be verified, and the recipients will be able to verify the authenticity of the document.

If you don’t have an approved certificate, then your signing certificate will be considered untrusted or invalid, potentially putting you in violation of compliance or legal requirements.

A Hardware Token or USB Device

In older systems, stored signing certificates may exist on a hardware token or USB device. The physical token or device contains your private key, which is used to securely sign your digital signature.

Before signing, make sure the driver software for the token is installed on the computer, and you know your PIN or password. The token is a secure storage for the private key, preventing any unauthorized use.

Although a high level of security exists, each time you wish to sign a document, physical access to the token is needed.

If you prefer a modern solution, Certera offers cloud-based signing solutions that put an end to needing a token, allowing for fully automated, keyless signing workflows.

Access to OpenOffice or LibreOffice

Finally, make sure you have OpenOffice Writer or LibreOffice Writer installed on the system. Both applications can utilize a built-in digital signature functionality to apply your certificate directly to documents.

The signing action is the same for both applications, so you will learn how to navigate one and then you will have no problem using the other.

In either case, if the program is not updated and you are working with a signing certificate or token, you could run into issues preventing you from applying for your certificate.

Furthermore, you also want to make sure you have the correct version, especially for the View Signatures and certificate verification features to work properly.

Steps to Sign Your OpenOffice or LibreOffice Document

Step 1: Open the Document

Launch OpenOffice or LibreOffice and open the document you wish to sign.

Step 2: Go to the Digital Signatures panel

Open the File menu, select Digital Signatures.

The Digital Signatures dialog will open, and you will have the option to sign your document or view current digital signatures.

Step 3: Sign the document

Select Sign Document, and the application will recognize the certificates you have in your token. Select the correct certificate and click Sign.

Step 4: Authenticate with Your Token

If you are utilizing a SafeNet or other hardware token, you will be prompted to enter your token password to authorize the signing process.

Step 5: Verify the Signature

Once your document is signed, you will see (Signed) in the title bar of the document, indicating the signing process has been completed.

Step 6: (Optional) View Certificate Signature Information

To view the signature information:

• Open the document.
• View -> Signatures on the menu.
• On the right-hand side of the page, there will be a panel, and click Signature Details to see the certificate’s validity, signer, CA, and root information.

Also Read: How to Sign a Document in Adobe Acrobat?

Conclusion

It is easy and secure to digitally sign documents in OpenOffice or LibreOffice using a trusted certificate. If you want to take security to the next level, user-trusted timestamps, and easily manage your signatures, use DigiCert Document Signing Certificates.

Certera helps businesses and professionals:

• Create verified digital identities
• Add trusted timestamps to signatures
• Comply with global e-signature standards (AATL, eIDAS, etc.)

Get started and protect your documents today with Document Signing Certificates, where trust is simple.