31.   Many consumer advocates were initally wary of the digital signature law, fearing consumers lacking Internet access would fall through the cracks, perhaps failing to receive important documents.

32.   Nonetheless, the business world is planning to take digital signatures a step further.

33.   Next month, the American Bar Association will publish its guidelines on using digital signatures.

34.   Now, besides encrypting my messages, I can attach a digital signature so that selected recipients have some assurance that I am who I claim to be.

35.   Public-key encryption technology and digital signatures allow blind transactions.

36.   PKI makes digital signatures possible, but it can also be used to send encrypted e-mail.

37.   Someone who uses different computers at home and at work will need two digital signatures.

38.   The act allows electronic contracts and digital signatures to be used in transactions.

39.   The certificates allow computers to generate digital signatures that the credit card companies hope will weed out the most common types of fraud.

40.   The House and Senate have passed versions of a digital signature bill, and now a conference committee is trying to smooth out differences between them.