CEF eSignature at the 3rd Foss Hackathon
On 5 - 6 October 2019, the 3rd Foss Hackathon took place, part of the EU-FOSSA 2 project managed by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Informatics (DIGIT), in Brussels,.
The Hackathons aimed to improve and contribute to open source software, by bringing together members of the open-source community to collaborate and create innovative solutions.
The attendees were able to choose between two tracks – create or improve, where they would either fix or enhance existing security, features or documentation of projects; or create new project features using the latest innovations in open source software, open hardware and open data respectively.
The Commission supports eSignatures and Trust Services in the EU with the help of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme, which funds key digital infrastructure, known as Building Blocks. The eSignature Building Block helps public administrations and businesses to accelerate the creation and verification of electronic signatures.
The Digital Signature Services (DSS) of the eSignature Building Block’s was one of the products to be tested by several developers across the globe participating at the Foss Hackathon. The atendees were able to provide input on the DSS open-source library.
The DSS is an open-source software library for electronic signature creation and validation. It supports the creation and verification of interoperable and secure electronic signatures.
The DSS can be re-used in an IT solution for electronic signatures to ensure that signatures, as well as seals, are created and validated in line with the eIDAS Regulation and related standards.
During the Hackathon, the participants were able to discuss on the current DSS version and propose enhancements for the performance and scalability of the DSS. This has allowed the DSS team to adopt the appropriate recommended measures.
The event was also a great opportunity for open-source enthusiasts and experts to connect while working on different products and services, as well as to spread more awareness on the CEF Building Blocks and in particular the eSignature Building Block.