A supplier turned in a scanned [certificate] and procurement needs to confirm expiry dates before issuing a [po] this …
Open the signed PDF document in Adobe Acrobat.
Open the Signatures panel from the left navigation pane.
Right-click the signature you want to validate and select Validate Signature.
In the Signature Validation Status dialog, click Signature Properties.
Click Show Signer's Certificate to review the certificate details.
Close the certificate viewer, then open the Edit menu and select Preferences.
In the Preferences dialog, select Signatures from the left pane, then click More... under Identities & Trusted Certificates.
In the Digital IDs and Trusted Certificates dialog, go to the Trusted Certificates tab.
Click Import and select your custom or organization-trusted root CA certificate file (e.g., .cer, .crt, .pem), then complete the import wizard.
CautionOnly import certificates from trusted organizational sources to avoid security risks.
After importing, select the new certificate, click Trust, and check the box for Use this certificate as a trusted root.
Click OK to apply trust settings and close all dialogs.
Return to the signed document, right-click the signature again, and select Validate Signature to re-validate using the updated trust list.
Best practiceIf you manage multiple trusted roots, organize them into a dedicated trust list for your team to streamline validation across devices.
You can manage trusted certificate authorities in Acrobat’s preferences to ensure signatures are validated against your organization’s approved list.
This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.
A digital certificate is like an electronic ID card that confirms the identity of the person or organization who signed a document. It's crucial for document security because it helps you trust the source of the document and ensures that the document has not been changed since it was signed. Without a valid certificate, you cannot be sure who signed the document or if it's authentic, which could lead to security risks.
Acrobat needs a 'trust relationship' because it relies on knowing that the certificate used for signing comes from a reliable source. Imagine getting an ID card; you trust it if it's from a known government office, not just anyone. Similarly, Acrobat checks if the signer's certificate is issued by a trusted Certificate Authority (CA) or if you have manually added the signer to your trusted identities. This ensures that the digital signature is truly authentic and not faked.
| Action | Purpose | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Validating Digital Signature | Checks if the signature itself is authentic and hasn't been tampered with since signing. | The overall integrity and trustworthiness of the signature on the document. |
| Verifying Certificate Information | Examines the details of the specific certificate used to create the signature. | The identity of the signer and the properties of their digital certificate. |