Increase in cases of illegal use of digital signatures by third parties

Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry (MDDIAI) informs on the increasing cases of digital signature use by third parties. 

Thus, for the period from 2015-2018, 15 administrative violations were registered (Article 640 of the Administrative Offences Code of RK), in 2019 there were 52 cases.

For 9 months of this year, over 30 facts of illegal transfer of digital signature and over 5 cases of non-observance of protection measures have been detected. Fines in the amount from 10 to 150 MCI were imposed for the detected facts.      

“Recently, the Ministry has been obtaining numerous materials and complaints on the facts of illegal transfer of digital signatures owned by individuals and public officials. It is worth remembering that digital signature is equal to a handwritten signature and bears the same legal consequences” commented Ruslan Abdikalikov, Chairman of Information Security Committee under MDDIAI RK.   

Compared to the previous period, there has been an increase in cases when the heads of government agencies and organizations have transferred their digital signatures to other employees, as well as cases when employers do not revoke digital signatures of dismissed employees. Such actions contribute to the illegal use of digital signatures, which entails administrative and even criminal liability.

To protect oneself and not become a victim of fraud or, vice versa, a violator, the Ministry recommends:

Firstly, exclude transfer of digital signature to third parties. In organizations, employees authorized to sign documents have their own digital signatures.

Secondly, track dismissal of employees having digital signatures and timely revoke those digital signatures. 

Thirdly, in case of loss, re-issue a digital signature as soon as possible, revoke a previous one, and also change a password from a standard one to a more complex.