Encrypting, Decrypting, and Signing Files

Depending on your platform configuration and the applications you use, you can use digital certificates stored on your HID Crescendo device to digitally sign, and in some cases encrypt and decrypt, files or documents.

Some applications, such as Microsoft Office, allow you to digitally sign documents using a certificate stored on your Crescendo device.

To sign a file:

  1. Insert your HID Crescendo device.

  2. Create or open the document you want to sign.

  3. In the application’s protection or security options, select Add Digital Signature.

  4. When prompted, enter your PIN to authorize the use of the signing certificate.

Depending on your environment, encryption using a certificate may be supported by your document editor, enterprise policies, or third-party tools.

To encrypt a document (when supported):

  1. Insert your HID Crescendo device.

  2. Create or open the document in a supported editor.

  3. In the protection options, choose Encrypt Document or a similar option.

  4. Select a certificate and enter your PIN when prompted.

If a file has been encrypted using your smart card certificate and a supported system:

  1. Insert your HID Crescendo device.
  2. Open File Explorer.

  3. Open the encrypted file or folder.

  4. A notification may appear prompting you to enter your smart card PIN.

  5. Enter your PIN to decrypt and access the content.