Digital certificate and driver license have following similarities…
• Digital certificate and drivers licenses both are use for the identification of the owner.
• Digital certificate ensure the identity of owner of the document and driving license ensure the identity of person.
• Both documents are use as a trusted proof or authenticity of the trusted work.
• Digital certificate and driving license both have validity or required renewed after specific period of time.
• Both are issued by higher or authenticated authorities which are always authenticated whenever required authenticity.
Difference between Digital signature and driving license are…
• Digital certificate is a electronic document which is issued for the ownership of the public key whereas drive license is a official document which is issued for the person who can have authority to drive vehicle on road.
• Digital certificate is a public key of digital signature whereas driving license is verifier of driving permission with photo or signature.
• Digital certificate ensure the identity of remote computer whereas driving license identity of person who drive vehicle.
• Digital certificate use to trusted communication over the internet whereas driving license use to trusted drive over the road.
• Digital certificate issued generally in digital format, whereas drive license issued in hard copy as well digital.
I find this very humorous, yet very correct “Digital certificates are used for trusted communication over the internet whereas driver’s license is used to ensure trusted driving over the road.”
Digital certificates and driver’s licenses are mechanisms by which we can uniquely identify and verify an individual. Both are issued by some trusted authority; digital certificates are issued via a certificate authority and driver licenses through their respective states. However, the difference is that the digital certificate ties to an individual’s identity and all their subsequent communications. Having a driver’s license does not necessarily connect to other channels as a form of verification. For instance, you would not send your driver’s license information for your colleague to decrypt or verify that a truly message came from you. Digital certificates operate as both an authentication and authorization component that ties into PKI infrastructure.
Great point about digital certificates operating as both authentication and authorization components. I wonder if government issued ID’s will move in this direction as our physical and cyber worlds converge. It could see a future where citizen identity is on the blockchain with communications being tied to a citizen’s address. It raises a number of interesting and concerning possibilities.
Matthew,
This is an interesting point regarding potential future implications of the digital world we live in, especially regarding blockchain; with the advent of blockchain technology many items are now traded/bought and sold in the form of NFTs, which essentially are a digital certificate of authenticity tied to an item, like artwork. It will surely be interesting to see what other things proceed in this direction.
Thanks for sharing such thought-provoking responses. I have also thought about how the blockchain and NFTs could help combat social media impersonations. Although the theory concerns privacy enthusiasts, I think we will have no choice but to employ this technology soon, given how prevalent and almost unmanageable identity theft has become.
Yes I think NFT and other blockchain implementations are gonna really stir this industry up as if it hasn’t already. With ownership to digital media I think it will take many forms of applicable uses from verification of ones digital media in gaming, trading, collecting, etc.
Each digital certificate and driver’s license has a unique serial number. The verifier of the digital certificate will look up the certificate’s public key used to check the digitally signed digital certificate. The validator of the driver’s license will look for the validity and the photo of the person attached to it.
Hello Zijian.
Understandably, I am on your side as regards the uniqueness of serial number for both digital certificate and drivers’ license. However, Digital certificates play a vital security role on the Internet. They allow you to prove that your websites are genuine, sign applications and software updates to prove that they originated from you, and communicate with customers easily using encryption. The drawback to certificates is that if anything goes wrong, the potential fallout can be disastrous. Criminals can create fraudulent websites that appear to be yours, they can create malware that purports to be software originating from you, and they steal credit card details and other valuable information that customers believe only you can decrypt.
Digital certificates make sure only trusted devices and users can connect to a network, and they can help confirm the authenticity of a website, essentially it proves the ownership of a public key. A driver’s license is used to verify the individual, both digital certificates and a driver’s license are a way to confirm that you are who you say you are. A difference would be that a digital certificate requires a digital signature to authenticate the identity, whereas with a driver’s license the opposing party verifies the individual.
I agree with everything you said. Also – both certs and driving licenses have expiration dates. It’s important that we aren’t trusting certs and DLs from 2 decades prior. At that point, the documentation may be stolen by bad actors or someone trying to steal your identity.
A driver’s license is similar to a digital certificate as they both assert the authenticity of an individual’s identity by way of a trusted authority. A digital certificate validates identity and establishes the trust required to encrypt and decrypt messages. A driver’s license also validates identity and establishes trust. For example, a person that is required to show ID before purchasing age restricted products such as alcohol.
Digital certificates and driver’s licenses are different in how they are distributed. In many implementations the digital certificate is issued proactively to assert trust. Driver’s licenses are often shown reactively and its uncommon to show identification unless prompted.
Hello Mathew, the trust factor mentioned in your write-up clearly articulates the overall objective of both a digital certificate and a driver’s license. The trust that the expected sender initiated communication and that a driver can maneuver and control a vehicle as expected.
Digital certification and driver licenses have a similarity of identifying the individual. They both are obtained through the authorized authority after validating their identity. Digital certificates identify the individual on the internet. The difference between both of them are they process which they are being granted and the process they identify the individual.
Digital certificates and drivers’ licenses hold some similarities; in general they are both primarily used as an authentication/identification method. Digital certificates exist in many places, arguably many more than most people think. The most common occurrence may be on websites to validate that the domains are trusted by the CA and the website data is authentic / has integrity, however, they are also present embedded in credit card chips which authenticate secure transactions. These examples are similar to a driver’s license in the sense that a license is also issued by a trusted party which issues the license as a method of verifying the authenticity and integrity of the individual. A key difference between the two would be that an entity can create self-signed certificates. In the organizational context, if the company manages its own PKI, it can create and self-sign digital certificates for internal use. Nothing similar can be done with a state-issued driver’s license; the state is the only entity that can issue them to an individual.
For the cryptography and PKI purposes, digital certificate might be in a form of file or electronic password. It also known as “public key certificate”, and is being used for the identification of the owner. The similarities between digital certificate and drivers’ license is the proof of authenticity. When digital certificate proves the owner of the device, service or user authenticity, drivers’ license proves the drivers’ ability to drive and card owners authenticity. However, drivers’ license is shown under investigation while digital certificate has to be displayed every single time organizations wants to ensure that only trusted devices and users can connect to their networks. Also the forms are different, as where digital certificate is in digital format, driver license is a physical card.
• Similarities
○ Both can be used to identify an entity
• Differences
○ A digital certificate is used to prove ownership of something (like a public key)
○ A driver’s license does not prove ownership or authenticity, but rather the ability to do something (like operate a vehicle)
A digital certificate exists to prove the ownership of a public key. A digital certificate holds information about the key, the owner’s identity (issuer), and the digital signature of the entity (subject) that has verified the content. Similarly, a driver’s license is an official document that proves an individual’s eligibility to operate one or more vehicles on a public roadway without in-vehicle supervision.
Both documents are used as trusted proof or information and identification requiring periodic renewals and issued by authorities.
The difference between a digital certificate and a driver’s license is that a digital certificate binds a digital signature to an entity. In contrast, a driver’s license binds a visual confirmation to an entity driving a vehicle.
Digital certificates and drivers’ licenses are similar because they are both official documents that confirm the identity of something. They are also both something that are distributed by a trusted authority, such as the DMV for licenses and Certificate Authorities for digital certificates. Also, something else that they have in common is that individuals have often produced false copies of both documents in order to fake legitimacy, usually with the goal of something illegal in mind. The difference is that with a digital certificate, the information on the certificate authority is presented and can be verified by the party who the certificate is presented to by contacting the authority. With a drivers license you are aware of the issuing state but there is not an instant way to verify the legitimacy with the issuing body. Another difference is that the digital certificate can be revoked by the certificate authority at any time, for example in the instance of the certificate being stolen. If a driver’s license was lost or stolen there is not a way for the individual to revoke the license so it cannot be used again.
Thanks for sharing Ryan. I didn’t mention it in my post but both digital certificates and drivers license are enticing target for bad actors since they can be taken advantage of in order to gain unauthorized access to some kind of information or used to perform some kind of malicious action. And this makes a lot of sense since both provide a means of proving the authenticity or legitimacy of who we are.
Hello Ryan, very exciting to note that “that individuals have often produced false copies of both documents to fake legitimacy, usually with the goal of something illegal in mind.
Both are issued by an third-party authoritative source that can be used to verify that this person is “real”. Both are issued uniquely to the associated entity. However, where they mainly differ is how the check takes place. With digital certificates, each individual keeps their own private key that only they can see. They share the public key with whomever they are trying to share a message with; but only they can decrypt that message since they have the private key that matches with that message. The certificate authority is the one that tells both parties that they are verified and trusted.
A drivers license on the other hand does not have any protection against verifying the individual outside of a basic photo. But this is easily manipulated and a perfect example is having a sibling that looks similar to you and using their photo to bypass that verification. Or even worse; you could just simply take someone else’s driver’s license and say that it is you when submitting to online websites. There is no private key that can verify that this is you making these actions.
I agree with you that using a digital certificate only individuals can decrypt their personal certificate because they have the private key that matches that message. The biggest difference between the two is that a driver’s license has no protection for verifying individuals beyond the basic photo, driving out without a driver’s license document, and a picture verification license cannot be used for remote verification and cannot be used as proof of identity.
A great example for the driver’s license. I overlooked the fact that driver licenses can be easily forged, and so the verification process could and at times is flawed, which is not the case with digital certificates as you have the private key and a digital signature.
Michael,
Great point on a family member taking another’s drivers license and using it to perform other actions. I did not think about this while typing out this discussion. However, it is a major threat to society. Many individuals can buy fake IDs off the internet and just put a fake address.
There are many similarities between digital certificates and driver’s licenses. They are both issued by an authority that associates the name with an identifier time limits can be checked for revocation. Both ensure the identity of the owner of the document.
And the difference is that the designated person has a driving permit, which may have restrictions. For example, corrective lenses, etc. A digital certificate is an electronic document issued for the possession of a public key, while a driver’s license is an official document issued for a person who has the right to drive a vehicle on the road. Whereas a picture verification driver’s license cannot be used for remote verification, it cannot be used as proof if you drive out without a driver’s license document.
How are digital certificates and drivers’ licenses similar, and how are they different?
Digital certificates and drivers’ licenses are similar in that they both can be used to identify an individual. They are both issued by authority and used as a trusted source of confirmation to validate who the user/individual is.
These two things differ in that a drivers license can be easily manipulated and fraudulent identification could also be used. A digital certificate also shows that you are the true person in possession of something whereas a drivers’ license allows you to legally perform an action rather than own an item.
I think it’s interesting that you’ve pointed out that digital certificates confirm the ownership of something whereas driver licenses confirm you’re legally allowed to perform certain actions. Could there be a shift in how the drivers’ licenses confirm certain actions? Such as the new drivers’ licenses that have the “real ID” certification for use of the ID when traveling. Could we potentially see that moving even further and having to present the ID in other situations?
Michael,
As I commented on Michael Duffy’s post, a manipulation on a driver’s license is a threat to society. Many college students utilizes a fake ID to get into a bar- but it is not only college students who manipulates themselves into underage drinking. Other individuals use a fake identification for what purposes? Digital certifiicates are not possible to fake. Your own public/private key pair to decrypt and create a signature.
A digital certificate primarily exists to demonstrate the ownership of a public key. A digital certificate has an information about the key, the owner’s identity, and the digital signature of the entity that has verified and confirmed the content. However, a driver’s license is an acceptable document that gives an individual’s eligibility to operate one or more vehicles on a public roadway without in-vehicle supervision Digital certificates are similar to a DL because they are both issued by someone who has authority, they include a name to identify the person/website is legit, and they both expire. The way they differ is that one has a picture associated with it. A digital certificate is a tiny-sized server file which is issued by a Certificate Authority. Digital certificate are essentially digital identification cards. They are issued by specific government bodies or certificate authorities after carefully verifying the individual’s identity and making sure that they meet all requirements for the certificate. Digital Certificates are essentially used to verify the owner’s identity when it is presented to others. When a document is signed with a digital certificate, the relying party can be guaranteed of their authenticity because the Certificate Authority has done its job in verifying the individual’s identity. Whereas driving license also prove the identity of person who drive vehicle.
In this regard, both identities can be used to undertake any business transactions within any organization.
Finally, another noticeable difference between a digital certificate and a driver’s license is that a digital certificate primarily binds a digital signature to an entity. whereas , a driver’s license binds a visual verification to an organization driving a vehicle.
There are similar in the sense they are both issued by trusted authorities/organizations. One is an official document issued by the state to allow a person to operate one of more vehicles on public roads without supervision. The other one-a digital certificate is defined as an electronic document which is used for proving the ownership of a public key. Both are able to identify a person.
The difference is that digital certificates are the credentials that facilitate the verification of identities between users and transaction. This is in a digital format. For example, the use of a digital certificate allows for secure, private connections between card holders, merchants, and banks that way the transactions are secure and cannot be forged. While a driver license is physical card and is only used to give permission to drive on public roads which does not prove authenticity.
Hi Ornella, great analysis. I am now provoked into wondering if, down the line, drivers’ licenses will be digital. Perhaps not to the extent as digital signatures, but licenses might be able to gain some more virtualized similarities (ie scanning a drivers’ license almost like a facilities badge card when getting pulled over and authenticating a person’s ability to drive/operate a vehicle in that aspect ).
Digital certificates are electronic credentials issued by a trusted third party. It not only verifies the identity of the owner, but also verifies that the owner owns the public key. Moreover, digital certificates binds an owner to their public key. They are similar to drivers’ licenses because it authenticates the individual’s identity.
I agree with your thoughts on the similarities of digital certificates and drivers’ licenses. Both of them can be used to identify an individual. They are both issued by authority and used as a trusted source of confirmation to validate who the user/individual is.
Hello Joshua,
That’s definitely true that it identifies the owners public key as well. Also, the digital certification are being granted by certificate authority after validating the owners identity similar to how someone would get their ID after validating their identity.
Great analysis. They are both similar in the sense they are issued by trusted authorities like you said. The difference is one is in a digital format and the other one is a physical card. Digital certificates require signatures while driver licenses does not. I believe a digital certificate is like a passport when it’s always needed if an organization require background check etc..
Joshua,
Not only can driver’s license be a problem, digital certificates can too. Whoever has access to the public key, can create a digital signature on the digital certificate.
Digital certificates and drivers’ licenses contain numerous similarities, such as the ability for a user to authenticate with this item. Drivers’ licenses serve as a proof of ID for individuals to do anything from going to bars to getting a passport; likewise, digital certificates allow users to confirm their identity and gain access to encrypted data at a given time. One difference, however, is that a user can sign multiple certificates to gain access to multiple different pieces of encrypted data; but a person is only given one drivers’ license at a time. Another similarity ties into validation. Digital certificates undergo a rigorous process to confirm the validity of a certificate at a given time. This process includes confirming the signature matches to the approved signature (ie confirming an individual matches the photo on a drivers’ license), confirming that the time stamp and policy field of the certificate (ie confirming that a license can operate a car versus motorcycle, and confirming that the license is not expired), and consulting revocation authorities to ensure that the certificate has not been revoked (ie checking DUI records to confirm that a driver is not prohibited from driving).
Similarities:
* A digital cert is used as a method of identification for individuals or companies. Think of if you’ve ever seen an “external” marker on an email. It’s looking at the cert to determine whether the email originated from outside your company. DLs are also considered a method of identification.
* A digital cert includes contact information. DLs include your address.
* A digital cert is designed to be difficult to counterfeit. DLs are also designed to be difficult to counterfeit.
* A digital cert is issued by a certificate authority. DLs are issued by the government.
* Digital certs include expiration dates. Same with DLs.
* Digital certs include the name of the issuing authority. DLs contain the name of the state that issued it.
Differences:
* Digital certs are electronic methods of identification. DLs are physical.
Digital certificates and driver’s license are similar because they both identify the owner, name, expiration date and signature. They are different because a digital certificate identifies electronic credentials and a drivers license is a piece of plastic that has a photo and personal information such as name, dob and address. The driver’s license is used to prove human identify in a face to face way. Digital certificate for example is used in an email that is sent to another user that contains the owners name, public key, digital signature. Both are similar in specific ways but are different in the way they are used.
In our constantly evolving world I think it is possible that we will all end up with a Driver’s License that is housed in our mobile devices. This could be similar to how we can use our mobile phones to purchase goods in stores that accept Google Pay or Apple Pay. In that world (where a Driver’s license is embedded in a phone), how will it be different from a digital certificate?
I can definitely see having a drivers license in our mobile devices. If we can have credit cards, plane and movie tickets in our phones, I can see drivers licenses. If that does happen, I don’t see a difference.
I definitely see that being a possibility in the very near future. Very rarely do I ever pay for anything with a physical credit card anymore, and it would be much more convenient/secure to not have to carry a wallet at all.
How are they similar? Both Digital Certificate and Driver’s License are identification documents that classifies who a person is (i.e. name, identification number, signature).
How are they different? Digital Certificate is a set of electronic credentials that verifies an owner or organization’s identity through encryption, where Driver’s License is a physical card that permits a person to operate a motor vehicle.
Both need a 3rd party to verify the information claimed is legitimate in order to be identified properly for verification purposes and have an expiration date. However a drivers license is a physical identity that is only applicable as a form of identity in some scenarios and for the use of vehicle operation. As for digital certificates are digital format used to verify and allow an entity to exchange data securely over the internet with PKI to prevent any malicious attackers from pretending to be the other entity. In contrast a drivers license can be fabricated with false information and still be passed as for digital certificates can be faked as well through purchase in the dark web to an actual entity, not a made up one like on a fake driver’s license.
Good point about how digital certificates can be faked as well. Many people listed that a big difference in the two is that driver’s licenses can be fabricated, while digital certificates cannot. While they may be more secure, this is simply not the case, as there are many cases of falsified digital certificates being sold illegally.
How are digital certificates and drivers’ licenses similar, and how are they different?
They both can be used to identify someone, they both use an authorized 3rd party to confirm validity. They both expire and must be renewed
The digital certificate is electronic, the drivers license is a physical card.
The digital certificate is for access through an electronic system, the DL is for permission to operate a physical vehicle
How are digital certificates and drivers’ licenses similar, and how are they different?
Digital Certificates (DC) are designed to be official artifacts that establish identity and credibility of the person holding the certificate in the cyber world. Drivers’ licenses (DL) also fulfill that function in the physical world. A DL is granted by the Dept of Motor Vehicles of a state and a DC are granted by a Certificate Authority. They are both designed to be unique and not easily duplicated or spoofed. A DL should validate your identity and also validates your right to perform a task – drive a car or commercial truck or operate a motor cycle. A DC validates your identity and can be used to demonstrate that ‘you are who you say you are’ in much the same way a DL does when presented.
They are similar in that before issuing or granting a DL or DC you are requested to produce several ancillary items that prove your identity (DL-birth certificate, passport, etc) (DL-credit card #, email address validation, etc). Both have expiration dates and you are required to renew them from time to time. Both can be ‘validated’ and their authenticity tested and proved/disproved.
The two are different because one is issued by a govt agency and the other can be issued by a private entity. A DL is a physical item and a DC is not, it is an online artifact.
Each item is used as a security mechanism to determine and subsequently allow someone to gain some sort of access. Digital certificates are intangible, electronic documents which resolve ones identity through the use of a public key. Drivers license are tangible documents/cards which proves ones ability to operate a mobile vehicle. The authenticity of a digital certificate is determined by a system by verifying a digital signature in order to gain access to an object where as the authenticity of a drivers license is determined by a person who physically examines it’s contents for appropriateness.
And I would definitely say that a driver’s license is more insecure due to the fact that it requires a human to review authenticity. It’s interesting looking at how the concept of digital certificates work since it’s easy to relate to real life applications. But because of the digital nature of authentication – it is definitely much harder to spoof a digital certificate than a driver’s license.
A digital certificate and drivers license are similar by:
-An identity is made of an individual
-The digital certificate both expire and renews
-Both are issued by authority
The differences between a digital certificate and drivers license are:
-Digital certificate is defined as an electronic document to identify an individual
-A driver’s license is an official document in which it has a photo of the driver attached
-The signature on the driver’s license is by authority and will confirm the identity of the human being
-The digital certificate will look up the public key for checking digital signature
A digital certificate is an electronic document/password/file that is used to prove ownership/authenticity of a device, server, or user through the use of cryptography and the public key infrastructure (PKI). Basically, they are to ensure only specific users are able to gain access to desired locations. They are similar to driver’s licenses in the sense that they are both officially issued to a specific person and both confirm identity. They are different because the driver’s license is used to operate a vehicle/gain access to physical locations, such as bars, as opposed to the previously mentioned reasons for a digital certificate. A certificate is also digitized, whereas a drivers license is a physical card.
Digital certificate and driver license have following similarities…
• Digital certificate and drivers licenses both are use for the identification of the owner.
• Digital certificate ensure the identity of owner of the document and driving license ensure the identity of person.
• Both documents are use as a trusted proof or authenticity of the trusted work.
• Digital certificate and driving license both have validity or required renewed after specific period of time.
• Both are issued by higher or authenticated authorities which are always authenticated whenever required authenticity.
Difference between Digital signature and driving license are…
• Digital certificate is a electronic document which is issued for the ownership of the public key whereas drive license is a official document which is issued for the person who can have authority to drive vehicle on road.
• Digital certificate is a public key of digital signature whereas driving license is verifier of driving permission with photo or signature.
• Digital certificate ensure the identity of remote computer whereas driving license identity of person who drive vehicle.
• Digital certificate use to trusted communication over the internet whereas driving license use to trusted drive over the road.
• Digital certificate issued generally in digital format, whereas drive license issued in hard copy as well digital.
Hello Mohammed,
I find this very humorous, yet very correct “Digital certificates are used for trusted communication over the internet whereas driver’s license is used to ensure trusted driving over the road.”
Digital certificates and driver’s licenses are mechanisms by which we can uniquely identify and verify an individual. Both are issued by some trusted authority; digital certificates are issued via a certificate authority and driver licenses through their respective states. However, the difference is that the digital certificate ties to an individual’s identity and all their subsequent communications. Having a driver’s license does not necessarily connect to other channels as a form of verification. For instance, you would not send your driver’s license information for your colleague to decrypt or verify that a truly message came from you. Digital certificates operate as both an authentication and authorization component that ties into PKI infrastructure.
Kelly,
Great point about digital certificates operating as both authentication and authorization components. I wonder if government issued ID’s will move in this direction as our physical and cyber worlds converge. It could see a future where citizen identity is on the blockchain with communications being tied to a citizen’s address. It raises a number of interesting and concerning possibilities.
Matthew,
This is an interesting point regarding potential future implications of the digital world we live in, especially regarding blockchain; with the advent of blockchain technology many items are now traded/bought and sold in the form of NFTs, which essentially are a digital certificate of authenticity tied to an item, like artwork. It will surely be interesting to see what other things proceed in this direction.
Hi Matthew and Antonio,
Thanks for sharing such thought-provoking responses. I have also thought about how the blockchain and NFTs could help combat social media impersonations. Although the theory concerns privacy enthusiasts, I think we will have no choice but to employ this technology soon, given how prevalent and almost unmanageable identity theft has become.
Kelly
Yes I think NFT and other blockchain implementations are gonna really stir this industry up as if it hasn’t already. With ownership to digital media I think it will take many forms of applicable uses from verification of ones digital media in gaming, trading, collecting, etc.
Each digital certificate and driver’s license has a unique serial number. The verifier of the digital certificate will look up the certificate’s public key used to check the digitally signed digital certificate. The validator of the driver’s license will look for the validity and the photo of the person attached to it.
Hello Zijian.
Understandably, I am on your side as regards the uniqueness of serial number for both digital certificate and drivers’ license. However, Digital certificates play a vital security role on the Internet. They allow you to prove that your websites are genuine, sign applications and software updates to prove that they originated from you, and communicate with customers easily using encryption. The drawback to certificates is that if anything goes wrong, the potential fallout can be disastrous. Criminals can create fraudulent websites that appear to be yours, they can create malware that purports to be software originating from you, and they steal credit card details and other valuable information that customers believe only you can decrypt.
Digital certificates make sure only trusted devices and users can connect to a network, and they can help confirm the authenticity of a website, essentially it proves the ownership of a public key. A driver’s license is used to verify the individual, both digital certificates and a driver’s license are a way to confirm that you are who you say you are. A difference would be that a digital certificate requires a digital signature to authenticate the identity, whereas with a driver’s license the opposing party verifies the individual.
Hi Dhaval,
I agree with everything you said. Also – both certs and driving licenses have expiration dates. It’s important that we aren’t trusting certs and DLs from 2 decades prior. At that point, the documentation may be stolen by bad actors or someone trying to steal your identity.
A driver’s license is similar to a digital certificate as they both assert the authenticity of an individual’s identity by way of a trusted authority. A digital certificate validates identity and establishes the trust required to encrypt and decrypt messages. A driver’s license also validates identity and establishes trust. For example, a person that is required to show ID before purchasing age restricted products such as alcohol.
Digital certificates and driver’s licenses are different in how they are distributed. In many implementations the digital certificate is issued proactively to assert trust. Driver’s licenses are often shown reactively and its uncommon to show identification unless prompted.
Hello Mathew, the trust factor mentioned in your write-up clearly articulates the overall objective of both a digital certificate and a driver’s license. The trust that the expected sender initiated communication and that a driver can maneuver and control a vehicle as expected.
Digital certification and driver licenses have a similarity of identifying the individual. They both are obtained through the authorized authority after validating their identity. Digital certificates identify the individual on the internet. The difference between both of them are they process which they are being granted and the process they identify the individual.
Digital certificates and drivers’ licenses hold some similarities; in general they are both primarily used as an authentication/identification method. Digital certificates exist in many places, arguably many more than most people think. The most common occurrence may be on websites to validate that the domains are trusted by the CA and the website data is authentic / has integrity, however, they are also present embedded in credit card chips which authenticate secure transactions. These examples are similar to a driver’s license in the sense that a license is also issued by a trusted party which issues the license as a method of verifying the authenticity and integrity of the individual. A key difference between the two would be that an entity can create self-signed certificates. In the organizational context, if the company manages its own PKI, it can create and self-sign digital certificates for internal use. Nothing similar can be done with a state-issued driver’s license; the state is the only entity that can issue them to an individual.
For the cryptography and PKI purposes, digital certificate might be in a form of file or electronic password. It also known as “public key certificate”, and is being used for the identification of the owner. The similarities between digital certificate and drivers’ license is the proof of authenticity. When digital certificate proves the owner of the device, service or user authenticity, drivers’ license proves the drivers’ ability to drive and card owners authenticity. However, drivers’ license is shown under investigation while digital certificate has to be displayed every single time organizations wants to ensure that only trusted devices and users can connect to their networks. Also the forms are different, as where digital certificate is in digital format, driver license is a physical card.
• Similarities
○ Both can be used to identify an entity
• Differences
○ A digital certificate is used to prove ownership of something (like a public key)
○ A driver’s license does not prove ownership or authenticity, but rather the ability to do something (like operate a vehicle)
Hello Andrew,
Good point about the DL not proving ownership
A digital certificate exists to prove the ownership of a public key. A digital certificate holds information about the key, the owner’s identity (issuer), and the digital signature of the entity (subject) that has verified the content. Similarly, a driver’s license is an official document that proves an individual’s eligibility to operate one or more vehicles on a public roadway without in-vehicle supervision.
Both documents are used as trusted proof or information and identification requiring periodic renewals and issued by authorities.
The difference between a digital certificate and a driver’s license is that a digital certificate binds a digital signature to an entity. In contrast, a driver’s license binds a visual confirmation to an entity driving a vehicle.
Digital certificates and drivers’ licenses are similar because they are both official documents that confirm the identity of something. They are also both something that are distributed by a trusted authority, such as the DMV for licenses and Certificate Authorities for digital certificates. Also, something else that they have in common is that individuals have often produced false copies of both documents in order to fake legitimacy, usually with the goal of something illegal in mind. The difference is that with a digital certificate, the information on the certificate authority is presented and can be verified by the party who the certificate is presented to by contacting the authority. With a drivers license you are aware of the issuing state but there is not an instant way to verify the legitimacy with the issuing body. Another difference is that the digital certificate can be revoked by the certificate authority at any time, for example in the instance of the certificate being stolen. If a driver’s license was lost or stolen there is not a way for the individual to revoke the license so it cannot be used again.
Thanks for sharing Ryan. I didn’t mention it in my post but both digital certificates and drivers license are enticing target for bad actors since they can be taken advantage of in order to gain unauthorized access to some kind of information or used to perform some kind of malicious action. And this makes a lot of sense since both provide a means of proving the authenticity or legitimacy of who we are.
Hello Ryan, very exciting to note that “that individuals have often produced false copies of both documents to fake legitimacy, usually with the goal of something illegal in mind.
Both are issued by an third-party authoritative source that can be used to verify that this person is “real”. Both are issued uniquely to the associated entity. However, where they mainly differ is how the check takes place. With digital certificates, each individual keeps their own private key that only they can see. They share the public key with whomever they are trying to share a message with; but only they can decrypt that message since they have the private key that matches with that message. The certificate authority is the one that tells both parties that they are verified and trusted.
A drivers license on the other hand does not have any protection against verifying the individual outside of a basic photo. But this is easily manipulated and a perfect example is having a sibling that looks similar to you and using their photo to bypass that verification. Or even worse; you could just simply take someone else’s driver’s license and say that it is you when submitting to online websites. There is no private key that can verify that this is you making these actions.
Hi Michael,
I agree with you that using a digital certificate only individuals can decrypt their personal certificate because they have the private key that matches that message. The biggest difference between the two is that a driver’s license has no protection for verifying individuals beyond the basic photo, driving out without a driver’s license document, and a picture verification license cannot be used for remote verification and cannot be used as proof of identity.
Hi Michael,
A great example for the driver’s license. I overlooked the fact that driver licenses can be easily forged, and so the verification process could and at times is flawed, which is not the case with digital certificates as you have the private key and a digital signature.
Michael,
Great point on a family member taking another’s drivers license and using it to perform other actions. I did not think about this while typing out this discussion. However, it is a major threat to society. Many individuals can buy fake IDs off the internet and just put a fake address.
There are many similarities between digital certificates and driver’s licenses. They are both issued by an authority that associates the name with an identifier time limits can be checked for revocation. Both ensure the identity of the owner of the document.
And the difference is that the designated person has a driving permit, which may have restrictions. For example, corrective lenses, etc. A digital certificate is an electronic document issued for the possession of a public key, while a driver’s license is an official document issued for a person who has the right to drive a vehicle on the road. Whereas a picture verification driver’s license cannot be used for remote verification, it cannot be used as proof if you drive out without a driver’s license document.
How are digital certificates and drivers’ licenses similar, and how are they different?
Digital certificates and drivers’ licenses are similar in that they both can be used to identify an individual. They are both issued by authority and used as a trusted source of confirmation to validate who the user/individual is.
These two things differ in that a drivers license can be easily manipulated and fraudulent identification could also be used. A digital certificate also shows that you are the true person in possession of something whereas a drivers’ license allows you to legally perform an action rather than own an item.
Hi Michael,
I think it’s interesting that you’ve pointed out that digital certificates confirm the ownership of something whereas driver licenses confirm you’re legally allowed to perform certain actions. Could there be a shift in how the drivers’ licenses confirm certain actions? Such as the new drivers’ licenses that have the “real ID” certification for use of the ID when traveling. Could we potentially see that moving even further and having to present the ID in other situations?
Michael,
As I commented on Michael Duffy’s post, a manipulation on a driver’s license is a threat to society. Many college students utilizes a fake ID to get into a bar- but it is not only college students who manipulates themselves into underage drinking. Other individuals use a fake identification for what purposes? Digital certifiicates are not possible to fake. Your own public/private key pair to decrypt and create a signature.
A digital certificate primarily exists to demonstrate the ownership of a public key. A digital certificate has an information about the key, the owner’s identity, and the digital signature of the entity that has verified and confirmed the content. However, a driver’s license is an acceptable document that gives an individual’s eligibility to operate one or more vehicles on a public roadway without in-vehicle supervision Digital certificates are similar to a DL because they are both issued by someone who has authority, they include a name to identify the person/website is legit, and they both expire. The way they differ is that one has a picture associated with it. A digital certificate is a tiny-sized server file which is issued by a Certificate Authority. Digital certificate are essentially digital identification cards. They are issued by specific government bodies or certificate authorities after carefully verifying the individual’s identity and making sure that they meet all requirements for the certificate. Digital Certificates are essentially used to verify the owner’s identity when it is presented to others. When a document is signed with a digital certificate, the relying party can be guaranteed of their authenticity because the Certificate Authority has done its job in verifying the individual’s identity. Whereas driving license also prove the identity of person who drive vehicle.
In this regard, both identities can be used to undertake any business transactions within any organization.
Finally, another noticeable difference between a digital certificate and a driver’s license is that a digital certificate primarily binds a digital signature to an entity. whereas , a driver’s license binds a visual verification to an organization driving a vehicle.
There are similar in the sense they are both issued by trusted authorities/organizations. One is an official document issued by the state to allow a person to operate one of more vehicles on public roads without supervision. The other one-a digital certificate is defined as an electronic document which is used for proving the ownership of a public key. Both are able to identify a person.
The difference is that digital certificates are the credentials that facilitate the verification of identities between users and transaction. This is in a digital format. For example, the use of a digital certificate allows for secure, private connections between card holders, merchants, and banks that way the transactions are secure and cannot be forged. While a driver license is physical card and is only used to give permission to drive on public roads which does not prove authenticity.
Hi Ornella, great analysis. I am now provoked into wondering if, down the line, drivers’ licenses will be digital. Perhaps not to the extent as digital signatures, but licenses might be able to gain some more virtualized similarities (ie scanning a drivers’ license almost like a facilities badge card when getting pulled over and authenticating a person’s ability to drive/operate a vehicle in that aspect ).
Digital certificates are electronic credentials issued by a trusted third party. It not only verifies the identity of the owner, but also verifies that the owner owns the public key. Moreover, digital certificates binds an owner to their public key. They are similar to drivers’ licenses because it authenticates the individual’s identity.
Hello Joshua,
I agree with your thoughts on the similarities of digital certificates and drivers’ licenses. Both of them can be used to identify an individual. They are both issued by authority and used as a trusted source of confirmation to validate who the user/individual is.
Hello Joshua,
That’s definitely true that it identifies the owners public key as well. Also, the digital certification are being granted by certificate authority after validating the owners identity similar to how someone would get their ID after validating their identity.
Hi Joshua,
Great analysis. They are both similar in the sense they are issued by trusted authorities like you said. The difference is one is in a digital format and the other one is a physical card. Digital certificates require signatures while driver licenses does not. I believe a digital certificate is like a passport when it’s always needed if an organization require background check etc..
Joshua,
Not only can driver’s license be a problem, digital certificates can too. Whoever has access to the public key, can create a digital signature on the digital certificate.
Thanks for the feedback everyone. There seems to be more similarities than differences after reading through some of the other responses below.
Digital certificates and drivers’ licenses contain numerous similarities, such as the ability for a user to authenticate with this item. Drivers’ licenses serve as a proof of ID for individuals to do anything from going to bars to getting a passport; likewise, digital certificates allow users to confirm their identity and gain access to encrypted data at a given time. One difference, however, is that a user can sign multiple certificates to gain access to multiple different pieces of encrypted data; but a person is only given one drivers’ license at a time. Another similarity ties into validation. Digital certificates undergo a rigorous process to confirm the validity of a certificate at a given time. This process includes confirming the signature matches to the approved signature (ie confirming an individual matches the photo on a drivers’ license), confirming that the time stamp and policy field of the certificate (ie confirming that a license can operate a car versus motorcycle, and confirming that the license is not expired), and consulting revocation authorities to ensure that the certificate has not been revoked (ie checking DUI records to confirm that a driver is not prohibited from driving).
Similarities:
* A digital cert is used as a method of identification for individuals or companies. Think of if you’ve ever seen an “external” marker on an email. It’s looking at the cert to determine whether the email originated from outside your company. DLs are also considered a method of identification.
* A digital cert includes contact information. DLs include your address.
* A digital cert is designed to be difficult to counterfeit. DLs are also designed to be difficult to counterfeit.
* A digital cert is issued by a certificate authority. DLs are issued by the government.
* Digital certs include expiration dates. Same with DLs.
* Digital certs include the name of the issuing authority. DLs contain the name of the state that issued it.
Differences:
* Digital certs are electronic methods of identification. DLs are physical.
Digital certificates and driver’s license are similar because they both identify the owner, name, expiration date and signature. They are different because a digital certificate identifies electronic credentials and a drivers license is a piece of plastic that has a photo and personal information such as name, dob and address. The driver’s license is used to prove human identify in a face to face way. Digital certificate for example is used in an email that is sent to another user that contains the owners name, public key, digital signature. Both are similar in specific ways but are different in the way they are used.
In our constantly evolving world I think it is possible that we will all end up with a Driver’s License that is housed in our mobile devices. This could be similar to how we can use our mobile phones to purchase goods in stores that accept Google Pay or Apple Pay. In that world (where a Driver’s license is embedded in a phone), how will it be different from a digital certificate?
I can definitely see having a drivers license in our mobile devices. If we can have credit cards, plane and movie tickets in our phones, I can see drivers licenses. If that does happen, I don’t see a difference.
Richard,
I definitely see that being a possibility in the very near future. Very rarely do I ever pay for anything with a physical credit card anymore, and it would be much more convenient/secure to not have to carry a wallet at all.
How are they similar? Both Digital Certificate and Driver’s License are identification documents that classifies who a person is (i.e. name, identification number, signature).
How are they different? Digital Certificate is a set of electronic credentials that verifies an owner or organization’s identity through encryption, where Driver’s License is a physical card that permits a person to operate a motor vehicle.
Both need a 3rd party to verify the information claimed is legitimate in order to be identified properly for verification purposes and have an expiration date. However a drivers license is a physical identity that is only applicable as a form of identity in some scenarios and for the use of vehicle operation. As for digital certificates are digital format used to verify and allow an entity to exchange data securely over the internet with PKI to prevent any malicious attackers from pretending to be the other entity. In contrast a drivers license can be fabricated with false information and still be passed as for digital certificates can be faked as well through purchase in the dark web to an actual entity, not a made up one like on a fake driver’s license.
https://www.appviewx.com/blogs/dark-web-a-haven-for-fake-digital-certificates/
Good point about how digital certificates can be faked as well. Many people listed that a big difference in the two is that driver’s licenses can be fabricated, while digital certificates cannot. While they may be more secure, this is simply not the case, as there are many cases of falsified digital certificates being sold illegally.
How are digital certificates and drivers’ licenses similar, and how are they different?
They both can be used to identify someone, they both use an authorized 3rd party to confirm validity. They both expire and must be renewed
The digital certificate is electronic, the drivers license is a physical card.
The digital certificate is for access through an electronic system, the DL is for permission to operate a physical vehicle
How are digital certificates and drivers’ licenses similar, and how are they different?
Digital Certificates (DC) are designed to be official artifacts that establish identity and credibility of the person holding the certificate in the cyber world. Drivers’ licenses (DL) also fulfill that function in the physical world. A DL is granted by the Dept of Motor Vehicles of a state and a DC are granted by a Certificate Authority. They are both designed to be unique and not easily duplicated or spoofed. A DL should validate your identity and also validates your right to perform a task – drive a car or commercial truck or operate a motor cycle. A DC validates your identity and can be used to demonstrate that ‘you are who you say you are’ in much the same way a DL does when presented.
They are similar in that before issuing or granting a DL or DC you are requested to produce several ancillary items that prove your identity (DL-birth certificate, passport, etc) (DL-credit card #, email address validation, etc). Both have expiration dates and you are required to renew them from time to time. Both can be ‘validated’ and their authenticity tested and proved/disproved.
The two are different because one is issued by a govt agency and the other can be issued by a private entity. A DL is a physical item and a DC is not, it is an online artifact.
Each item is used as a security mechanism to determine and subsequently allow someone to gain some sort of access. Digital certificates are intangible, electronic documents which resolve ones identity through the use of a public key. Drivers license are tangible documents/cards which proves ones ability to operate a mobile vehicle. The authenticity of a digital certificate is determined by a system by verifying a digital signature in order to gain access to an object where as the authenticity of a drivers license is determined by a person who physically examines it’s contents for appropriateness.
And I would definitely say that a driver’s license is more insecure due to the fact that it requires a human to review authenticity. It’s interesting looking at how the concept of digital certificates work since it’s easy to relate to real life applications. But because of the digital nature of authentication – it is definitely much harder to spoof a digital certificate than a driver’s license.
A digital certificate and drivers license are similar by:
-An identity is made of an individual
-The digital certificate both expire and renews
-Both are issued by authority
The differences between a digital certificate and drivers license are:
-Digital certificate is defined as an electronic document to identify an individual
-A driver’s license is an official document in which it has a photo of the driver attached
-The signature on the driver’s license is by authority and will confirm the identity of the human being
-The digital certificate will look up the public key for checking digital signature
A digital certificate is an electronic document/password/file that is used to prove ownership/authenticity of a device, server, or user through the use of cryptography and the public key infrastructure (PKI). Basically, they are to ensure only specific users are able to gain access to desired locations. They are similar to driver’s licenses in the sense that they are both officially issued to a specific person and both confirm identity. They are different because the driver’s license is used to operate a vehicle/gain access to physical locations, such as bars, as opposed to the previously mentioned reasons for a digital certificate. A certificate is also digitized, whereas a drivers license is a physical card.