fis and dcs user guide - supplement · fis and dcs user guide supplement – pdf digital signatures...

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FIS and DCS User Guide - Supplement Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader Configuration

How to Digitally Sign PDF Documents with Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader

Version 1.0

Exostar LLC

September 2016

https://www.exostar.com/

FIS and DCS User Guide Supplement – PDF Digital Signatures

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Table of Contents

1. Import the certificate chain from the FDF to Acrobat or Reader ............................................ 4

2. Import the certificate chain from the P7B to Windows .......................................................... 6

3. Updating the Adobe Approved Trusted List and European Trust List ..................................... 9

4. Configuring Acrobat or Reader to enable Long Term Validation (LTV) ................................. 13

5. How to Digitally Sign a PDF .................................................................................................... 16



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About this Guide

This guide contains information for configuring Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader to support

digitally signing PDF documents with FIS and DCS digital certificates. Applying a digital signature

to the PDF has the same effect as signing the PDF with ink on paper.

Before getting started, please ensure successful completion of the installation of your FIS or

DCS Digital. Instructions to install these certificates can be found at

http://www.myexostar.com/DCS-Training-And-Support-Guides/.

Users will also need to have Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader installed on their Microsoft

Windows workstations. The recommended version is Acrobat XI or later.

You will need to complete four steps before you can digitally sign a PDF. These steps only need

to be completed once.

1. An FDF file containing a chain of digital certificates between your FIS or DCS certificate and an

Adobe trusted certificate needs to be imported into Acrobat or Reader. This step ensure that

the digitally signed PDF will exhibit a green checkmark when signed.

2. A P7 file containing the same chain of digital certificates needs to be imported into the

Microsoft Windows certificate store. During testing, this step has been demonstrated to assist

Reader and Acrobat with chain building for Long Term Validation (LTV).

3. The Adobe Approved Trust List (AATL) and Adobe European Trust List (EUTL) within Acrobat or

Reader should be updated from Adobe to ensure that your copy of Acrobat or Reader contain

the latest list of Adobe trusted Certification Authorities (CA), including Exostar DCS.

4. Acrobat or Reader should be configured to automatically add verification information when

signing a PDF, regardless of the size of the verification information. This step ensures that

signed PDFs will exhibit LTV, even if the verification information will cause the size of the PDF to

increase by 10% plus 10KB or more.

Please note that if you do not have the correct permissions to install the P7 file, you will need

to contact your IT support help desk.


http://www.myexostar.com/DCS-Training-And-Support-Guides/


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1. Import the certificate chain from the FDF to Acrobat or Reader 1. Using Internet Explorer, download the FDF file from the DCS Training and Support Site (How

to Setup and Sign a PDF).

2. Save this file to your computer. You can save it to your desktop by right clicking on the file

name and then selecting Save target as. If saving the file does not work, you can copy and

paste the file to the location to which you wish to save it.

3. Double click on the file.

4. Acrobat or Reader will open the Data Exchange File - Import window. Click the Add

Contacts to List of Trusted Identities button.

5. Click Import.


http://www.myexostar.com/DCS-Training-And-Support-Guides


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6. The Import Complete window opens. Click OK.



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2. Import the certificate chain from the P7B to Windows 1. Using Internet Explorer, download the P7B file from the DCS Training and Support Site

(How to Setup and Sign a PDF).

2. Save this file to your computer. You can save it to your desktop by right clicking on the file

name and then selecting Save target as. Locate the P7B file on your PC. Right click on the

P7B file and select Install Certificate.

3. The Certificate Import Wizard window opens. Click Next.


http://www.myexostar.com/DCS-Training-And-Support-Guides


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4. Select Automatically select the certificate store based on the type of certificate and click

Next.

5. Click Finish to complete the process.



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6. A Certificate Import Wizard alert will indicate that the import was successful. Click OK.



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3. Updating the Adobe Approved Trusted List and European Trust List 1. Open Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader. If you can’t find the shortcut is click on the “Start”

button, type “Adobe”, and click on Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader.

2. Adobe Acrobat or Reader will open.

Note: Adobe Reader XI shown.



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3. Click on Edit, then select Preferences (or press Ctrl-K).

4. Select Trust Manager from the Categories menu (located on the left).



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5. Under Automatic Adobe Approved Trusted Certificates Updates, check Load trusted root

certificates from an Adobe server (no personal information is sent) and click Update Now.

6. A Trusted Certificates Update notification window may appear. Click OK.

7. A notification alerting you that the security settings have been updated will display. Click

OK.



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7. Repeat the process for Automatic European Union Approved Trusted Certificates Updates.

Check Load trusted root certificates from an Adobe server (no personal information is sent)

and click Update Now.



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4. Configuring Acrobat or Reader to enable Long Term Validation (LTV) 1. Open Acrobat or Reader Click on Edit, then select Preferences (or press Ctrl-K).

2. Select Signatures from the Categories menu located on the left. Click More under the

Creation & Appearance section.

3. The Creation and Appearance Preferences window will display. Confirm that the Include

signature’s revocation status (under When Signing) is selected.



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4. Confirm that the following settings are selected:

Default Signing Method should be set to Adobe Default Security.

The Default Signing Format should be set to PKCS#7-Detached.

Enable Review of Document Warnings should be set to When certifying a document.

Prevent Signing Until Warnings are Reviewed should be set to Never.

5. Click OK.

6. Click More under the Verification section from the Preferences window.

7. The Signature Verification Preferences will display.



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8. Under Verification Information, confirm that Always is selected for Automatically add

verification information when saving signed PDF. Click OK.

9. Click OK to close the Preferences window.

8. The one time setup is now complete. You are now ready to sign PDF documents.



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5. How to Digitally Sign a PDF 1. Open the PDF that you want to sign. If you have an MLOA Hardware token, plug it into

your computer.

2. Click Fill & Sign in the upper right corner. Expand Work with Certificates and click Sign

with Certificate.



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You will receive a prompt instructing you to draw a signature rectangle.

3. Using your mouse pointer, draw a signature rectangle on the document where you want

your signature to appear. Click and drag to draw the rectangle. Please note that there

may be a brief pause while Acrobat or Reader searches for your certificates are valid.



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4. The Sign Document window will open. Using the Sign As drop-down box, select your

Exostar FIS or DCS certificate that you would like to use to sign the document with.

Note, there may be a brief pause while Acrobat or Reader validates your certificate.

Click Sign.

5. The Save As window will open. Save your file with a new file name (e.g.

MySignedDocument.PDF) and click Save.



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6. If you are using an MLOA Hardware Digital Certificate, enter your token PIN/password.

If you are using an MLOA Software Certificate, you will need to grant approval and

enter your certificate password if one was set when you received your certificate.

7. After your document has been signed, verify that the green check mark displays. This

indicates that the document is signed and all signatures all valid.



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8. (Optional) Verifying that Long Term Validation (LTV) is enabled. LTV ensure that your

PDF will display the green check mark even after your certificate or Exostar’s certificates

expire.

To verify that the document is LTV enabled, click on the Signature Panel located in the

upper right hand corner. LTV means that all information necessary to validate the

signature (excluding root certificates) are in the PDF file.

9. (Optional) After you click on Signature Panel, the window will expand. Under the

Signatures section, you will see your information. You will need to click the + to expand

the line.



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10. (Optional) Verify that “Signature is LTV enabled.”

11. (Optional) You can LTV enable a document you previously signed by right clicking on the

signature and selecting Add Verification Information.



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12. You will receive a window indicating that you have successfully added selected

signature verification information.

Note: Information about Adding verification information after signing can be located on

The Adobe Help Site under the Add verification information after signing section.


https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/validating-digital-signatures.html