Distributed digital signature generation

A method of facilitating a digital signature, the method comprising:

• receiving, at a server, a first request for a digital signature, the first request including a user identifier, a representation of digital information to be used in determining the digital signature, and a designation of at least one key pair to be applied to the digital information, wherein the at least one key pair corresponds to a group of users;
• responsive to the first request, first determining whether a transmitter device of the first request is authentic and whether the transmitter device is authorized to send the first request;
• second determining whether the user identifier is authentic;
• third determining whether the user identifier is permitted to make the first request;
• and
• responsive to the first, second and third determining, transmitting a second request to a device for generating a digital signature, the request including the representation of the digital information and the designation of at least one key pair.

A server, comprising:

• a memory;
• a communication port;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory and the communication port, the processor configured to facilitate;
• receiving, cooperatively with the communication port, a request for a digital signature, the request including a representation of digital information to be used in determining the digital signature, one of a plurality of types of digital signature, and a designation of at least one key pair to be applied to the digital information, wherein the at least one key pair corresponds to a group of users;
• responsive to the request, first determining whether a requestor corresponding to the request is authentic;
• second determining whether the designation corresponds to the requestor;
• and
• responsive to the first and second determining, generating the digital signature based on the digital information, the one of a plurality of types of digital signature, and the at least one key pair.