Abstract

Cryptographic methods and apparatus for forming, checking, blinding, and unblinding of undeniable signatures are disclosed. The validity of such signatures is based on public keys and they are formed by a signing party with access to a corresponding private key, much as with public key digital signatures. A difference is that whereas public key digital signatures can be checked by anyone using the corresponding public key, the validity of undeniable signatures is in general checked by a protocol conducted between a checking party and the signing party. During such a protocol, the signing party may improperly try to deny the validity of a valid signature, but the checking party will be able to detect this with substantially high probability. In case the signing party is not improperly performing the protocol, the checking party is further able to determine with high probability whether or not the signature validly corresponds to the intended message and public key. Blinding can be used while obtaining undeniable signatures, while providing them to other parties, and while checking their validity.