ESIGN is one of the digital signature algorithms authorized under the
guideline based on "Law Concerning Electronic Signatures and Certification
Services" (enforced from April 1, 2001). Compared with previous digital
signatures, its processing speed is much faster, and ESIGN can be
implemented on smart cards without special co-processors. The Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) has written ESIGN into
the public-key encryption and authentication standard specification P1363,
which will be published in 2001.