Document Authentication
Document authentication is a security concept and process that verifies the authenticity, integrity, and origin of digital or physical documents to prevent fraud, tampering, or unauthorized access. It involves techniques such as digital signatures, cryptographic hashing, watermarking, and certificate-based validation to ensure documents are genuine and unaltered. This is critical in legal, financial, governmental, and business contexts where document trustworthiness is paramount.
Developers should learn document authentication when building systems that handle sensitive documents like contracts, certificates, legal filings, or financial records, as it ensures compliance with regulations (e.g., eIDAS, GDPR) and prevents fraud. Use cases include e-signature platforms, secure document management systems, blockchain-based verification, and identity verification services, where proving document validity is essential for trust and legal enforceability.