Signing PDF documents

The component is implemented in Java and uses free (open source) software for embedding the signature. A certificate provided by the customer is used for the signing. In addition to the signature, a time stamp obtained from an external Time Stamping Authority (TSA) is embedded in the PDF. The component is integrated into the customer's existing (web) portal and the signed documents are stored in a reliable and auditable fashion in the electronic document management system. The solution implemented in the end involves using a license-free API from the Swiss authorities which is based on the license-free iText 2.1.7 and also contains the TSA time stamp function. This API has been stored in the Maven NEXUS repository of the customer, the API client is the JSF-based portal.