Digital signatures a step closer in XBRL reports: Call for implementations
Earlier this month the Digital Signatures – or D6 – working group released the Digital Signatures in XBRL 1.0 specification as a Candidate Recommendation, an important step towards improved security in financial reporting. This new specification aims to encourage and standardise the use of digital signatures within XBRL and Inline XBRL reports, while providing freedom of choice about the use of certificate technologies as needed.
This comprehensive specification outlines the requirements for integrating digital signatures into XBRL reports, ensuring the authenticity and integrity of the data. The approach utilises XBRL Report Packages, allowing signatures to be combined with the report being signed. It supports multiple report formats, including xBRL-XML, xBRL-JSON, and xBRL-CSV. Key components include defining a digital signature header file and ensuring that signature target files specify the exact parts of the report covered by the signature.
Historically, the need for robust data security has driven the development of digital signatures. By incorporating these signatures, organisations can assure stakeholders that the data has not been altered, thus enhancing trust and compliance with regulatory standards. The development of the Digital Signatures in XBRL 1.0 specification follows a series of advancements aimed at bolstering data integrity in financial reporting.
For a deeper understanding of this crucial development, we encourage you to review the Digital Signatures in XBRL 1.0 specification and consider participating in the call for implementations to actively test the specification in your work. Your feedback is invaluable in refining this standard to ensure it meets the highest levels of security and efficiency.
For further details and to delve into the full specification, see here.
