SPEAR

Digital Certificate FAQ's

  1. What do Signing Users need to do to digitally sign documents and decisions in SPEAR?

  2. How do I digitally sign a document in SPEAR?

  3. What is a Digital Signature Certificate?

  4. What is an ABN-DSC?

  5. Should I backup my Digital Certificate?

  6. I am changing jobs to go to another organisation that uses SPEAR. Can I bring my ABN-DSC Digital Certificate with me?

  7. Can we transfer the ABN-DSC Digital Certificate of a previous staff member over to our new staff member?

  8. The Digital Certificate test in SPEAR failed, what do I need to do?

  9. I've forgotten my Digital Certificate password, how can it be reset?

  10. What is CSI and why do I need it?

  11. How do I know if a document has been digitally signed in SPEAR?

  12. I have a new computer and now my Digital Certificate won't work. What is wrong?

  13. What do I do if I think my Digital Certificate has expired?

  14. How long does my Digital Certificate last and how do I renew it?

  15. What can I do if my Digital Certificate still doesn’t work?

  16. How can I use my Digital Certificate on a token?

  17. I use a secure token form of Digital Certificate and I am having trouble digitally signing documents in SPEAR, what do I need to do?

  1. What do Signing Users need to do to digitally sign documents and decisions in SPEAR?
    Signing users are required to purchase an ABN-Digital Signature Certificate (ABN-DSC) from VeriSign. Refer to the SPEAR Getting a Digital Certificate web page for more details.

    To use your ABN-DSC with SPEAR you will need to download and install the "Common-use Signing Interface" (CSI) software application. This is available from the Downloads page. This is a free program developed by the Australian Taxation Office to manage the interaction between Digital Signatures and applications such as SPEAR.

    CSI requires Java to be enabled on your computer and will prompt you to install it (if it isn’t already installed) when you install CSI. If you do not have Java installed on your computer click here.

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  2. How do I digitally sign a document in SPEAR?
    When you attempt to authenticate a document or decision in SPEAR that requires a digital signature, SPEAR invokes the intermediary application CSI to enable the user to apply their digital signature to the appropriate document. CSI works through three pop up windows that will appear in sequence for you to confirm the information you are about to digitally sign as follows:

    • The first window displays details about the owner of the Digital Certificate. You should ensure your name and organisation details appear correctly on this window. When you have confirmed this, click the 'Sign' button.


    • The second window describes the document or decision you are digitally signing. Again you will need to confirm these details are correct, and then click the 'Sign' button.


    • The third window requires you to type in your CSI password and click the 'Ok' button.


    When this is complete, SPEAR will display a confirmation screen and your document or decision will be digitally signed.

  3. What is a Digital Signature Certificate?
    A Digital Signature Certificate is equivalent to a handwritten signature when signing important documents. The certificate must be kept securely and only used by the person it has been issued to.

    A Digital Signature Certificate is an electronic means of establishing your credentials when doing business or performing transactions on the Web. It contains your name, an expiry date, a private key (used for decrypting messages and creating a digital signature), a public key (used for encrypting messages and verifying digital signatures), and the digital signature of the certificate-issuing authority so that a recipient can verify that the certificate is real.

    There are many types of Digital Certificates. The type you must acquire to use in SPEAR is an Australian Business Number – Digital Signature Certificate (ABN-DSC). When you apply for the digital certificate you actually receive two certificates, a Digital Signing Certificate and a Digital Encryption Certificate. You must download and install both certificates.

    Refer to How do I get a Digital Certificate? for assistance with acquiring and installing Digital Certificates.

  4. What is an ABN-DSC?
    The Australian Business Number Digital Signature Certificate (ABN-DSC) is a type of Digital Certificate, linked to an organisation's ABN. It recognises a person with the Digital Certificate as being employed by or representing the organisation whose ABN it is linked to. A person with an ABN-DSC who changes jobs can not use the same Digital Signature Certificate to digitally sign documents on behalf of the new employer a new certificate must be purchased. Similarly, if an organisation changes their legal name, they must acquire a new certificate that is linked to the new name of the organisation and it’s ABN.

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  5. Should I backup my Digital Certificate?
    Yes! We recommend the certificates are backed up as soon as you receive them to ensure you do not accidentally lose or corrupt them if you obtain a new computer, have a major computer crash or upgrade software.

    It is very important that this backup is kept in a secure location. We recommend that the certificate is copied to a secure network drive or onto a CD, USB or other form of token and stored in a secure safe place. Do not backup your certificates onto your computers hard drive. Equally important is that you ensure that you have a way of recalling all of your Digital Certificate passwords, as some passwords will not be required until you renew your certificate in two years time. Loss of passwords means acquiring a new Digital Certificate in most cases.

  6. I am changing jobs to go to another organisation that uses SPEAR. Can I bring my ABN-DSC Digital Certificate with me?
    No, this is not possible as ABN-DSC type digital certificates are not transferable. ABN-DSC recognises the person with the Digital Certificate as being employed by or representing the organisation whose ABN it is linked to. A person with an ABN-DSC who changes jobs can not use the same Digital Signature Certificate to digitally sign documents on behalf of the new employer. They must acquire a new certificate that is linked to the new organisation’s ABN.

  7. Can we transfer the ABN-DSC Digital Certificate of a previous staff member over to our new staff member?
    No, each Digital Certificate has an individual’s passwords and details built into it and can not be reset or overwritten with the details of a new staff member. A new Digital Certificate must be acquired for new staff members who need to digitally sign documents in SPEAR.

  8. The Digital Certificate test in SPEAR failed, what do I need to do?
    There are many reasons that the Digital Certificate test may initially fail in SPEAR, which is why we ask you to test it!

    The most common reason is a mismatch of user or organisation details. SPEAR cross checks that the information supplied on your Digital Certificate exactly matches the information we have about you in our records for security reasons. Sometimes we need to update SPEAR’s records to make sure the details such as spelling match exactly. This can be done by either your organisation’s SPEAR Local Administrator or by the SPEAR Service Desk.

  9. I've forgotten my Digital Certificate password, how can it be reset?
    Digital Certificates may be protected by up to four different passwords. The passwords on the Digital Certificates are actually programmed into your certificate by your individual computer and therefore no third party can reset it for you. It would reduce the security of the Digital Certificates and increase the risk of fraud if the ability to reset passwords was provided.

    If you have forgotten any of these passwords you may need to cancel your certificate with VeriSign and apply for a new one online.

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  10. What is CSI and why do I need it?
    To use your Digital Signature Certificate with SPEAR you will need to download and install the CSI (Common-use Signing Interface) application. This is available from the Downloads page.

    This is a free program developed by the Australian Taxation Office to manage Digital Certificates. CSI provides the link between SPEAR and your Digital Certificate allowing SPEAR to apply your digital signature to key documents in SPEAR.

    If you experience problems using your digital certificate in SPEAR, please call the SPEAR Service Desk for assistance.

  11. How do I know if a document has been digitally signed in SPEAR?
    Documents that have been digitally signed in SPEAR are flagged in the system with the signing person's name, organisation and the time and date of the signing.



    The documents themselves are watermarked by SPEAR with the signing details so that digitally signed documents are easily identifiable even when printed as shown below.



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  12. I have a new computer and now my Digital Certificate won't work. What is wrong?
    You need to ensure that CSI (with your Digital Signature Certificate imported into the CSI Store) is correctly installed on your new computer.

    You must also ensure that your Digital Signature Certificate (ABN-DSC) has been imported into the CSI application.

    If you are using a token to store your Digital Certificates, see Questions 16 or 17 below for further information.

    If you experience problems using your digital certificate in SPEAR, please call the SPEAR Service Desk for assistance.

  13. What do I do if I think my Digital Certificate has expired?
    Check if your certificate has expired by checking the "Valid" and "Expires" column in the main view of the CSI Management Utility as shown below.



    If your digital certificates are stored on a token, insert the token into the computer prior to checking its validity in the CSI Management Utility.

    If your Digital Certificate has expired you will be unable to renew it. You will need to reapply for a new Digital Certificate.

    See How do I get a Digital Certificate? for assistance with acquiring and installing Digital Certificates.

  14. How long does my Digital Certificate last and how do I renew it?
    ABN-Digital Certificates last for two years from the date of purchase and must be renewed before expiry. You should receive an email from VeriSign up to two months before expiry prompting you to renew your Digital Certificate. If you have changed your email address in this time you will not be able to renew your Certificate. You will need to apply for a new one.

    Please refer to Renewing your Digital Certificate for details on the renewal process.

  15. What can I do if my Digital Certificate still doesn’t work?
    Check to see if your Digital Certificate has expired (they have a two year lifespan).

    Check that CSI is installed on your computer.

    Call the SPEAR Service Desk for further assistance with this process.

    There can be a number of reasons why your certificate may not work, however if you have backed up your Digital Certificates and can recall your passwords, your Digital Certificates can be reinstalled.

  16. How can I use my Digital Certificate on a token?
    You will need to purchase a secure token/key from VeriSign. SPEAR recommends that you download and backup your Digital Certificate in the normal way (as a *.pfx file) and import your certificate onto the token after it being backed up. This is unable to be done with a Digital Certificate that has been downloaded directly onto a secure token.

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  17. I use a secure token form of Digital Certificate and I am having trouble digitally signing documents in SPEAR, what do I need to do?
    You will need to ensure that the software provided on the VeriSign CD that came with the token is installed onto your computer and the options relating to token usage are correctly selected in CSI Management Utility. Check the CSI Management Utility settings by clicking on the "Advanced" button and ensuring that the "Smart Card Configuration" is enabled in the "Certificate Stores" as shown:



    Your token must be inserted into your computer before you begin the digital signing process in SPEAR.

    If your certificate is a new or renewed certificate you may also need to reset the 'Default Certificate' by selecting the desired certificate in the table and then clicking the "Set Default" button, as shown:



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