This document defines electronic signatures and discusses how they work using public key infrastructure (PKI). It explains that electronic signatures involve hashing document contents, encrypting the hash with a private key, and including the encrypted hash and public key in a digital certificate. It describes risks like man-in-the-middle attacks and the role of certificate authorities in verifying identities and signatures. The document also outlines standard certificate formats, details the components of a certificate, and explains how improved signing procedures provide non-repudiation of signed documents.