EDS Law no. 5/2005 on Electronic Documents and Signatures was adopted in order to promote the incorporation of new technologies for the security of electronic communications, namely the Internet, used by Private Sector Companies and the Public Administration, and to serve as an effective mean to foster the growth and competitiveness of the Macao economy, promoting confidence in the use of electronic transactions over open communications networks.
Macao Post and Telecommunications Bureau (CTT) (formerly named Macao Post) backed its support of the law by allocating significant financial resource to establish a Certification Service Provider named eSignTrust, in full accordance with this law. The duty of eSignTrust is to provide authentication and identity management services for individuals, organisations and government entities and to carry all essential activities lay by the law, such as the identification of persons requesting Certificates, issuing Certificates, using a system that guarantees the reliability of the services provided and consequently the security of legal transactions.
The following services are provided by eSignTrust:
- Registration Service
- Certificate Life Cycle Management Service
- Certificate Repository Service
- PKI Consulting
As stated in Macao’s EDS Law, an accredited Certification Service Provider (CSP) serves as a Trusted Third Party to help ensure trust and security in support of electronic transactions and may issue Qualified Electronic Certificates for authentication and creation of legally-valid electronic signatures. Through the use of Qualified Certificates, individuals and businesses may:
- Establish the identity of the opposite party in electronic transactions;
- Ensure the Integrity and Confidentiality of electronic messages transmitted over open communications networks; and
- Safeguard the Non-Repudiation of electronic transactions.
The Macao CSP Accreditation Body provides independent verification of the service provider’s compliance with a stringent code of practice and security guidelines, eSignTrust is Macao's first authorized CSP, accredited under the law.
The EDS law specifically states that electronic documents and their related electronic signatures are not to be denied legal effect, validity, or enforceability merely because they are in electronic form, moreover an Electronic Document with a Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) created using the Qualified Certificate contained in the Secure Signature-Creation Device (SSCD) has full evidentiary value.
All certification products and services provided by eSignTrust are in accordance with the law.
Over 130 years, Macao Post and Telecommunications Bureau (formerly named Macao Post) has long been trusted as a secure and reliable mail carrier. Being a Trusted Third Party, eSignTrust is committed to adopt internationally well-known and advanced PKI technology and to exert industrial good practices in the provision of Certification Services in a trustworthy manner. In collaboration with industry’s strategic partners, eSignTrust will promote the use of PKI, which will be the key for the successful development of e-Commerce and e-Government in Macao.
