Validity term of electronic signature exteded up to five years in Moldova

Chisinau, 14 December /MOLDPRES/ - The Information Technology and Cyber Security Service (STISC), as the government’s single certification centre, has informed about the extension of the validity term of the public key security, for the electronic signature’s users, from two up to five years. Competent officials presented the action’s advantages and benefits at a news conference today.   
Deputy Prime Minister for Digitalization Iurie Turcanu referred to the importance to improve the digital infrastructure regarding the electronic signature, as well as to the importance of improving the electronic services for the citizens. ‘’The switch to online of the services, commerce, education, trainings, meetings, political processes, cultural, social events, etc., both globally and nationally, is a reality which must be accepted and which implies the becoming friends with technology, overcoming certain reticence and reservations towards the virtual environment, yet, through a good informing for the use of information technologies only to advantage, with no risks and threats,’’ the deputy PM said.          
For his part, the STISC director, Gheorghe Pantaz, stressed that ‘’through extending the validity term of the electronic signature, the service will be developed, offering comfort to users and facilitating the benefiting from distance/online quality electronic public services.’’  
“Moldova aligns with the recommendations and standards of the European countries. Thus, we simplify the access to the electronic services and overcome the bariers of interaction between the citizen and the state. The action of extending the validity term is meant to cut the expenses for use of the electronic signature for the end users of the service, as well as to enhance the wide-scale use and implementation of the electronic services in Moldova. The cost for the purchasing of the public key for the period of up to five years will be of 650 lei. Those who have an electronic signature with a validity of up to two years can use it till expiration,’’ Gheorghe Pantaz noted.   
The official specified that STISC, being in charge of the information and cryptographic security sector, would provide consultancy to this end and would develop its capacities, in order to enhance the efficiency of the public electronic services provided.
The Information Technology and Cyber Security Service provides services of certification of the public keys for the local and central public administration authorities, legal entities with diverse forms of work, as well as private people. So far, STISC has ensured the getting of the electronic signature for about 200,000 users from different activity fields, private people and legal entities, business environment, etc. In the context of the new technologies and tendencies of digitalization, the institution’s goal is to modernize and simplify the access to public services.