I am working on a project that requires PDF signing through a website.
The current infrastructure includes Apache + PHP website available. What we need to achieve is integrate the digital signature module of a user visiting the website and sign the required files. One of the most appropriate solutions after the negotiations was signed applet that signs PDFs.
- The steps for the project creation are the following:
- Create an applet
- Create a certificate to sign the applet via keystore tool (if root CA’s are not available)
- Sign the applet (allowing read/write access to users’ hard drives)
- Create a REST implementation that could read/write to the server database via HTTP
- Implement the iText API
- Create an appropriate interface to list certificates and documents, too
- Sign each of the documents
Some useful materials on the topic:
How to sign an applet (and get it to work)
Oracle Signed applets tutorial
Creating PDF with Java and iText
LifeCycle ES PDF signing (the Adobe way)