The fields, one by one
| Field | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Signer | Name from the signing certificate |
| Personal code / identifier | The certificate's serial number, e.g. PNOEE- plus an Estonian personal code |
| Signing time | Time reported by the signer's own device |
| Time stamp / validity confirmation | Time attested by a trusted service |
| Role / resolution | Free text the signer added, e.g. "Board member" |
| Place | City and country, if the signer filled them in |
| Certificate issuer | The authority that issued the certificate |
| Certificate validity | The period in which the certificate could be used |
| Signature level | How much supporting proof is embedded |
Open a signature card in ASiCE Viewer and press Details to see all of them.
Signing time versus time stamp
The signing time is a claim; a computer with a wrong clock produces a wrong signing time. The time stamp is issued by an independent time-stamping service seconds later and cannot be set by the signer. When the two differ by a few seconds, everything is normal. When there is no time stamp at all, the container lacks independent proof of when it was signed.
What the levels mean
- XAdES-B – the signature and certificate only. No independent time, no proof the certificate was valid.
- XAdES-T – adds a time stamp.
- XAdES-LT – adds revocation data (an OCSP response) proving the certificate was valid. This is what DigiDoc4 produces and what a complete Estonian signature looks like.
- XAdES-LTA – adds an archive time stamp so the proof survives ageing algorithms.
- BDOC-TM – the older Estonian profile that uses a time-mark inside the OCSP response instead of a time stamp.
Reading several signatures
Signatures are independent. A contract signed by two parties has two cards with different times; the later one does not "cover" the earlier one. If a signer is missing, that party has not signed, whatever the e-mail says.
The integrity line
Under each signer the viewer reports whether the signed files match. "Integrity OK (files checked: 3)" means all three documents are identical to what that person signed. This is not the same as a legal validity verdict; see verify an ASiC-E signature for the full check. On Android, the app shows the same details offline.
Frequently asked questions
What does PNOEE mean in the identifier?
It is a prefix for a natural person's identifier: PNO for personal number and EE for Estonia, followed by the personal code.
Is a signature without a time stamp invalid?
Not necessarily, but it lacks independent proof of time and revocation status. Official validators treat such signatures with caution.